Low-Altitude Maneuvering · NTSB WPR12LA093
CESSNA 172N — Fresno, CA
| Date | February 6, 2012 |
| Location | Fresno, CA |
| Aircraft | CESSNA 172N |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Maneuvering-low-alt flying Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 52 |
| Pilot total time | 25 hrs · Student / very low time |
| Time in type | 1 hrs |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Altitude-Not attained/maintained - C
- Personnel issues-Physical-Impairment/incapacitation-Prescription medication-Pilot - F
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-(general)-Pilot - C
- Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Wire-Not specified
What happened
A witness reported that he observed the airplane flying about the height of nearby power lines and that the engine was sputtering. The airplane then banked right and impacted the power lines before falling to the ground. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
The non-certificated pilot was flying the airplane, which had been reported stolen. The pilot’s toxicology results indicated that methamphetamine and amphetamines were detected in the pilot’s blood and liver specimens. (Local authorities also reported finding a plastic bag containing “crystal meth” in the accident airplane.) Both detected drug quantities were above therapeutic levels and likely contributed to the pilot’s performance and failure to maintain sufficient clearance from the power lines.