Pilot Debrief

Cessna 172 near Abilene, TX — 2018-12-21

Final reportCEN19LA070
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Date
2018-12-21
Location
Abilene, TX, USA
Airport
ABI
Aircraft
Cessna 172
Registration
N254RA
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Maneuvering

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to see and avoid a cell tower wire during a pipeline patrol flight. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's distraction due to writing down observations about the pipeline while flying.

NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot was conducting a pipeline patrol flight. He reported that, while he was looking down in the cockpit writing down observations about the pipeline, he felt the airplane pull left; the airplane had struck a cell tower wire. The pilot stated that he did not see the wire because he was looking down. The pilot was able to control the airplane, immediately declared an emergency, and landed at an airport about 10 miles north of where the wire strike occurred. Examination of the airplane revealed that a 4-ft-long section of the left wing was torn off the airplane, just outboard of the left aileron. The pilot stated that many pipeline patrol operations have an observer onboard in addition to the pilot, one of whom looks outside the airplane to observe the pipeline while the other person writes down the observations. He also stated that he could have waited to write down information after passing the tower area.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Human factors
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have waited to write down information after passing the tower area.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 2 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents2

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