Primary finding
Probable cause
The student pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from power lines during takeoff.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The student pilot reported that he had just departed a grass strip when the wing of the airplane dropped and contacted a power line. The student pilot lost control of the airplane and it collided with terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage, and the empennage. No preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane were reported that would have precluded normal operation. Prior to the accident, the student pilot reported that a gust of wind had made the airplane’s wing drop, however a review of weather information found the prevailing wind to be calm.