Piper PA-11 N209H

Summary

On 16 June 2019 at about 18:45 local time, a Piper PA-11 registered N209H was involved in an accident near Copperopolis, California, 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

16 June 2019 at 18:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Copperopolis, California, United States

Coordinates

37.8994, -120.5864

Aircraft

Piper PA-11

Registration

N209H

Category

Airplane

Year built

1948

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Columbia → Modesto

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR19FA173

1 person died.

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from power lines while maneuvering at a low altitude. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s impairment from consuming alcohol before the flight.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

A friend of the pilot located near the lake reported that the pilot had sent him a text message, which said that he was going to do a “fly by” over the lake. The friend stated that, when he saw the airplane, it was about 150 ft above the water and that the pilot did a “wing wag” before the airplane collided with the power lines strung across the water. The airplane subsequently descended nose down into the water. Postaccident examination of the airplane and engine revealed no evidence of any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Toxicological tests detected a level of ethanol in the pilot’s specimens known to cause some impairment. The test results were also consistent with the pilot having recently consumed alcohol before the flight. Therefore, it is likely that the pilot’s impairment from consuming alcohol contributed to the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.