Piper PA-12 N3637M

Summary

On 9 September 1997 at about 17:15 local time, a Piper PA-12 registered N3637M, operated by JOE E. Cenarrusa, was involved in an accident near Horseshoe Bend, Idaho, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 September 1997 at 17:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Horseshoe Bend, Idaho, United States

Coordinates

43.9202, -116.1693

Aircraft

Piper PA-12

Registration

N3637M

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

JOE E. Cenarrusa

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wilderness Area → Caldwell

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA97FA206

1 person died.

the pilot's failure to maintain clearance from transmission wires. The wires were a factor.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Another pilot, who was flying behind and above the accident airplane through the valley, reported that the lead airplane was flying below the ridge line and centered in the valley. As the second airplane came around a slight turn in the valley, the lead pilot transmitted that there was a car on the road. The second pilot looked down to find the car and the lead airplane, then looked back in the cockpit. When the second pilot looked back outside a few seconds later, the lead airplane had collided with three unmarked transmission wires. The transmission wires were strung across the valley at a minimum altitude of 33 feet and a maximum altitude of 60 feet above the ground.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.