# NTSB SEA06CA111: North American SNJ-6, N45CK, American Falls, ID, June 4, 2006 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: June 3, 2006, 18:30 local (Jun 4, 2006, 00:30 UTC) - Place: American Falls, ID - Coordinates: 42.633335, -113.099998 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.6333&lon=-113.1000&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report October 3, 2006 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 63832 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=SEA06CA111 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/63832/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA06CA111 ## Probable cause The pilot's performance of low altitude flight and his failure to maintain clearance with a power line, which resulted in an in-flight collision with the power line. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with object, cruise - object - wire,transmission - altitude - low, pilot in command (cause) - clearance - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) ## Analysis The pilot reported that it was cold at a cruise altitude of 8,500 feet msl, and he decided to descend to warmer altitudes. He descended to follow a river. He checked his aeronautical chart and "didn't observe any charted power lines crossing on the segment of the river" that he was flying. He descended to "about 100 feet above the river" and followed the river. He saw three wooden poles and a crossbeam located along the edge of the river, did not see wires, but "made the immediate assumption that there were wires." He pulled up and heard a loud bang as the airplane struck the wires. He also saw a blue flash. After determining that the airplane was "able to continue safe flight," he made a decision to proceed to his original destination, where he was able to make a normal landing. The pilot examined the airplane and reported that the pitot mast was torn from the right wing tip, the leading edges of both outer wing panels were damaged, and there were two puncture holes in the fabric of the left aileron. The pilot stated that "there may have been many contributing factors to this accident but I simply should have had more altitude in order to avoid any possibility of a wire strike." ## Factual narrative On June 3, 2006, about 1830 mountain daylight time, a North American SNJ-6, N45CK, sustained substantial damage when it struck a power line during cruise flight near American Falls, Idaho. Following the collision, the flight continued to its destination and landed without further incident. The commercial pilot and the passenger aboard were not injured. The airplane was registered to Rudy & Sylvia Airways LLC of San Diego, California, and operated by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the 14 CFR Part 91 cross country flight from Afton, Wyoming, to Jerome, Idaho. The flight departed Afton about 1734 and arrived in Jerome about 1855. The pilot reported that it was cold at a cruise altitude of 8,500 feet msl, and he decided to descend to warmer altitudes. He descended to follow the Snake River. He checked his aeronautical chart and "didn't observe any charted power lines crossing on the segment of the river" that he was flying. He descended to "about 100 feet above the river" and followed the river. He saw three wooden poles and a crossbeam located along the edge of the river, did not see wires, but "made the immediate assumption that there were wires." He pulled up and heard a loud bang as the airplane struck the wires. He also saw a blue flash. After determining that the airplane was "able to continue safe flight," he made a decision to proceed to Jerome, where he was able to make a normal landing. The pilot examined the airplane and reported that the pitot mast was torn from the right wing tip, the leading edges of both outer wing panels were damaged, and there were two puncture holes in the fabric of the left aileron. The pilot stated that "there may have been many contributing factors to this accident but I simply should have had more altitude in order to avoid any possibility of a wire strike." ## Aircraft - Registration: [N45CK](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N45CK), registered now, S/N 121-422-39, built 1960 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: North American SNJ-6 - Registry model: [North American SNJ-6](https://openairdocs.org/model/north-american-snj-6) (registry code 6400422) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney R1340 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-r1340-series) (registry code 52016, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 121-422-39 - Engines: Pratt & Whitney R1340 reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Ferry, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: AFO, Afton, WY - Destination: JER, Jerome, ID ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 43; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2; flight hours: 4,103 total, 58 in this make and model, 114 in the last 90 days, 32 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20060603022709A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20060603022709A), Jun 3, 2006: Namer SNJ6, American Falls, ID, Substantial damage. (-23) On June 3, 2006, pilot was on a VFR flight from afton, WY, to jerome, ID, when he hit power lines located in the American Falls, ID, area. From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.