Low-Altitude Maneuvering · NTSB CEN14FA448
AMERICAN CHAMPION AIRCRAFT 7GCBC — Lago Vista, TX
| Date | August 23, 2014 |
| Location | Lago Vista, TX |
| Aircraft | AMERICAN CHAMPION AIRCRAFT 7GCBC |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Maneuvering-low-alt flying Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 24 |
| Pilot total time | 248 hrs · Low time |
| Time in type | 95 hrs |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot's decision to fly at a low altitude and his subsequent failure to see and avoid the power lines.
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot - C
- Personnel issues-Psychological-Attention/monitoring-Monitoring environment-Pilot - C
- Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Wire-Awareness of condition - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Altitude-Not attained/maintained - C
What happened
A witnesses in the area reported seeing an airplane matching the description of the accident airplane flying near the accident site at a low altitude over water. A camera mounted to the airplane captured the accident flight. The video footage depicted the airplane flying low near terrain up until the collision with a power line. The video did not depict any abrupt maneuvers before the accident, thus, the pilot likely did not see the wires. The airplane impacted the ground and a postimpact fire ensued. An examination of the airframe, engine, and related systems revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunction or failures that would have precluded normal operation.