Cessna TR182 N756WF

Summary

On 4 September 2002 at about 00:15 local time, a Cessna TR182 registered N756WF, operated by Wayne A. Christopherson, was involved in an accident near Tappen, North Dakota, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 September 2002 at 00:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Tappen, North Dakota, United States

Coordinates

46.8936, -99.5322

Aircraft

Cessna TR182

Registration

N756WF

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Wayne A. Christopherson

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bismarck → Fargo

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI02FA269

2 people died.

The pilot's inadequate visual lookout and his failure to maintain clearance of the transmission wires. Also causal was inadequate preflight planning. Factors associated with the accident were the low altitude and airspeed when the abrupt maneuver was made and the high tension power lines.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was destroyed by fire after impacting the terrain, following a loss of control. The pilot and passenger were inspecting high tension power lines when the accident occurred. The airplane was following a set of high-tension lines that ran eastbound from Bismarck, along Interstate 94. One person, located approximately 6 miles west of the accident site, reported that the airplane was flying along the south side of the lines, slightly below the height of the lower towers. Another set of power lines, coming from the northwest, join up and run parallel on the north side of the lines being followed. The two sets of lines diverge at the accident site with the northern most lines turning toward the south across the airplane's flight path. Witnesses reported seeing the airplane flying low and slow near the power lines, heading from the west to the east. Inspection of the towers and lines did not reveal any evidence that the airplane had contacted them. The bid paperwork that was forwarded to the NTSB from the pilot's company did not show the intersecting power lines. The owner of the power lines provided a supplemental plan profile, which did show the intersecting lines. It is not know if the pilot had the plan profile. The North Dakota Aeronautical Chart and the Twin Cities Sectional both show the intersecting power lines. The pilot's wife stated that she did not recall the pilot using any maps or charts during the portion of the flight when she was on board.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.