Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate lookout, and his failure to maintain clearance from the utility line.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot stated that he had completed a swath run, and was on climbout from a field, when he attempted to fly under a set of powerlines. The airplane collided with the utility lines and fell to the ground. No mechanical problems were reported by the pilot.
Source record
Factual narrative
On June 15, 1995, at 1230 central daylight time, a Cessna 188D, N8035V, collided with a high voltage power line while maneuvering twelve miles northwest of Huntsville, Alabama. The aerial application flight was being operated under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 137 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The aircraft was destroyed, and the pilot was not injured. The flight departed a private airstrip near Athens, Alabama, at 1215 hours. The pilot stated that he had completed a swath run, and was on a climbout from the field, when he attempted to fly under a set of power lines near the sprayed field. The airplane collided with the power lines and fell to the ground. No mechanical problems with the airplane were reported by the pilot. The pilot did not complete and return NTSB Form 6120.1/2 as requested. -