Low-Altitude Maneuvering · NTSB WPR15FA039
CESSNA 140A — Gilroy, CA
| Date | November 8, 2014 |
| Location | Gilroy, CA |
| Aircraft | CESSNA 140A |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Maneuvering-low-alt flying Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 69 |
| Pilot total time | 22,000 hrs · High time |
| Time in type | Unknown |
| Fatalities | 2 |
Probable cause
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
- Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Light condition-Glare-Effect on personnel - F
What happened
The airline transport pilot and passenger were flying in an area of wooded, rolling hills and valleys. When the airplane did not arrive at its destination as scheduled, a search was initiated. The wreckage was located the next day in a valley about 5 miles from the departure airport, where it came to rest beneath overhead distribution power lines. The unmarked lines were located about 300 ft above ground level, in an east-west orientation, and were anchored between two H-frame pole assemblies that stood on either side of the valley. There were no witnesses to the accident, but residences near the accident site reported a power outage near the time of the accident.
Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The propeller, right wing leading edge, and right wing strut exhibited impact marks consistent with a wire strike.
Given the position of the sun about the time of the accident, it is likely that sun glare contributed to the pilot's inability to see the power lines as he flew the airplane along the valley at low altitude.