- Date
- December 14, 1994, 17:20 local (Dec 15, 1994, 01:20 UTC)
- Place
- Auburn, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N8388YPiper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report September 24, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19941214048719A
- Case key
- 42090
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot-in-command's not maintaining clearance from the power lines. A factor was the pilot-in-command's not maintaining the proper VASI glideslope.
Analysis
While on final to runway 16 the airplane impacted power lines 87 feet above ground and approximately 1700 feet north of the threshold. The pilot reported being below the VASI glideslope while on final.
Factual narrative
On December 14, 1994, approximately 1720 hours Pacific standard time (pst), a Piper PA-28-161, N8388Y, operated by Auburn Flight Services, and being flown by a private pilot, was substantially damaged during a collision with high tension power lines while on approach to runway 16 at the Auburn Municipal Airport, Auburn, Washington. The pilot was uninjured. Visual dark night meteorological conditions existed at the time, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight, which was personal, was to have been operated under 14CFR91, and originated from the Auburn airport at 1700 hours.
An FAA inspector examined the aircraft and interviewed the pilot following the accident. He reported that the aircraft impacted the lower catenary of the power lines at a point approximately 83 feet above ground and 1700 feet north of the runway threshold on the extended centerline (refer to photographs 1/2).
The pilot reported to the FAA inspector that she was low on the VASI to runway 16 during her approach and that she struck the power lines (also refer to NTSB Form 6120.1/2 attached). Following the wire strike, she maintained control of the aircraft and continued her approach to a landing on runway 16 during which the aircraft ran off the runway.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8388Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8116226
- Airframe hours
- 8,985
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Auburn Flight Service
- Registered owner
- Rodeberg, Roger, T.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 19, 1994 · 60 hours before
- Departed
- S50
- Airport
- S50 · Auburn Municipal, runway 16, 3,400 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 26
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 191 total · 44 in this make and model · 101 as pilot in command · 28 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 120° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SEA, 8 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.