Piper PA-28R-200 N6219J

Summary

On 15 March 1997 at about 20:47 local time, a Piper PA-28R-200 registered N6219J, operated by Monarch Air, was involved in an accident near Westminster, Texas, United States. 4 people were on board and 2 died, 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 March 1997 at 20:47

Classification

Accident

Location

Westminster, Texas, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-28R-200

Registration

N6219J

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Monarch Air

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

McKinney → Dallas

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW97FA122

2 people died.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance during an intentional low altitude maneuver. A factor was the transmission line.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During a flight maneuver to videotape a passenger's residence, the pilot flew the airplane at 4 to 5 feet AGL over a road. The airplane struck a transmission line (23' 3' AGL) that crossed the road tearing off the outboard right wing and the upper rudder. The vertical height from the bottom of the fuselage to the top of the vertical stabilizer and rudder measured 5'5'. The upper portion of the rudder, entangled with the transmission line, and 8' 9' of the outboard right wing were found on the road. The pilot reported that the control yoke would not go aft of neutral and the airplane descended with full throttle, suddenly rolling right and impacting the terrain inverted. The videotape shows the airplane in the flight maneuver, and throughout the flight the sound of engine power is audible and there are no visible discrepancies noted with the flight controls. During examination of the airplane, flight control continuity was confirmed and there were no preimpact discrepancies noted. From October 1993 through August 1995 the pilot logged 10.5 hrs in a PA-28R-200 airplane. Since August 1995, the pilot logged 10.0 hrs (including a flight review) in a PA-28-161 airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.