Low-Altitude Maneuvering · NTSB ERA24LA114
CESSNA 172M — Brookwood, AL
| Date | February 16, 2024 |
| Location | Brookwood, AL |
| Aircraft | CESSNA 172M |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Maneuvering-low-alt flying Low altitude operation/event |
| Pilot age | 65 |
| Pilot total time | 2,488 hrs · Experienced |
| Time in type | 769 hrs |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to see and avoid powerlines while maneuvering at low altitude.
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Psychological-Attention/monitoring-Monitoring environment-Pilot
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Identification/recognition-Pilot
- Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Wire-Awareness of condition
What happened
Witnesses reported the airplane was flying low over a river with the engine operating at a high rpm when it collided with a set of powerlines about 60-80 ft above the ground. The airplane descended into the river and sank, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane and fatal injury to the pilot.
Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Although an autopsy of the pilot revealed hypertensive and arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, given the airplane’s low and level flight before the collision a cardiac event was unlikely to have contributed to the accident.