Piper PA-28-180 N9685J

Summary

On 8 December 1990 at about 21:00 local time, a Piper PA-28-180 registered N9685J, operated by Frankey D. Daniels, was involved in an accident near Hickory, North Carolina, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 December 1990 at 21:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Hickory, North Carolina, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-180

Registration

N9685J

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Frankey D. Daniels

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Taylorsville → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL91LA034

Nobody was injured.

THE PILOTS'S INADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT DURING FLIGHT. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A SAFE ALTITUDE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

WHILE ON A LOCAL SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT, THE PILOT HEARD A LOUD 'POW' AND REALIZED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD COLLIDED WITH A POWER LINE THAT WAS STRUNG ACROSS A RIVER. HE STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE 'PULLED TO THE RIGHT' AFTER THE COLLISION, HOWEVER HE WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL. HE RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT AND LANDED THE AIRPLANE AFTER TWO ATTEMPTS. AN INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT THE TOP THIRD OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER AND THE RUDDER HAD SEPARATED FROM THE AIRPLANE. THE POWER LINE WHICH WAS STRUCK WAS REPORTED TO BE ABOUT 40 FEET ABOVE THE SURFACE OF THE WATER. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE DID NOT REALIZE THAT HE WAS FLYING SO LOW TO THE WATER. THE ACCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO THE FAA BY ANONYMOUS SOURCES; THE PILOT HAD MADE NO ATTEMPT TO REPORT THE ACCIDENT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.