- Date
- April 14, 1992, 17:40 local (23:40 UTC)
- Place
- Aravada, WY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N61043Maule M-7
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920414010019A
- Case key
- 41657
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain a visual lookout, and his diverted attention. Factors include a low pass, and a transmission wire in the path of flight.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot of the Maule M-7 planned to land in an open field in order to visit an acquaintance at a nearby ranch. When he arrived in the area of the ranch he made a low pass over the proposed landing site in order to make sure it was a safe field to touch down in. As he made the low pass he was concentrating on the landing surface, and did not see the powerlines until it was too late to avoid them. He tried to go under the wires, but contacted the lower one, and was pulled down into the terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N61043
- Reported as
- Maule M-7
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4044C
- Airframe hours
- 265
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-W1A5D, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Oedekoven, Fred L.
- Registered owner
- Oedekoven, Fred L.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 6, 1991 · 205 hours before
- Departed
- Recluse, WY
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,400 total · 1,350 in this make and model · 1,354 as pilot in command · 38 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 0.2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 10 knots, gusting 12
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N61043 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.