- Date
- September 9, 1997, 10:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Columbus, MT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5500LBellanca 7GCBC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 4, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970909026039A
- Case key
- 42689
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 passenger failed to maintain clearance from the power line.
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 airplane collided with a power line while engaged in low flying, and the pilots made a precautionary landing in a wheat field adjacent to the power lines. The pilot in the rear seat stated that he was flying the airplane, which had just been purchased by the pilot in the front seat. The rear seat pilot, who was also an aircraft mechanic, did not meet flight currency requirements and had not had a medical exam since 1992. The front seat pilot was not aware of the other pilot's medical status or lack of currency.
Factual narrative
On September 9, 1997, approximately 1030 mountain daylight time, a Bellanca 7GCBC, N5500L, was substantially damaged when it collided with a power line about a mile west of Columbus, Montana while engaged in low flying. The two pilots on board were not injured. They performed a precautionary landing in a wheat field adjacent to the power lines. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane was being delivered to the owner's home in Snohomish, Washington. There was no report of the ELT actuating.
The pilot in the rear seat stated that he was flying the airplane, which had just been purchased by the pilot in the front seat. The rear seat pilot, who was also an aircraft mechanic, did not meet flight currency requirements and had not had a medical exam since 1992. The front seat pilot was the new owner of the airplane. She stated that she was not aware of the other pilot's medical status or lack of currency.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5500L
- Reported as
- Bellanca 7GCBC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1032-78
- Airframe hours
- 6,000
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Katherine L. Hansen
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 30, 1996
- Departed
- BIL · Billings, MT
- Destination
- Spokane, WA
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 2,200 total · 100 in this make and model · 14 in the last 30 days · 14 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °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.