CESSNA 172M
Thief River Falls, MN — May 9, 2013
Event Information
| Date | May 9, 2013 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | CEN13CA272 |
| Event ID | 20130513X13436 |
| Location | Thief River Falls, MN |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 48.06556, -96.18500 |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
Aircraft
| Make | CESSNA |
| Model | 172M |
| Category | AIR |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 2 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from the power line while on approach to landing.
Full Narrative
The pilot had heard that the wind would pick up later in the day where it would not be ideal for flying. He decided to get a little local flying in early. During the flight, he decided to head back towards the farm airstrip, as it was getting a little choppy. He noticed the wind correction angle needed to fly a heading had increased significantly. The pilot flew a normal downwind approach and found that the wind correction angle was very large. He aborted the landing and did a full power climb back to a safe altitude. He decided to land on the east-west blacktop road right in front of the farm. He circled due to traffic on the road and was totally concentrating on possible traffic. The pilot’s eyes caught sight of wires directly ahead and he heard the “zing” of wire impact the airplane as he applied full power. The airplane was subsequently pulling to the right and the pilot could not hold the centerline. The airplane settled, impacted the ditch on the right side, and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial wing damage during the nose over. The pilot reported that there no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane in reference to the flight.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.