Pilot Debrief

Cessna 172RG near Litchfield, IL — 2008-02-08

Final reportCHI08CA079
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Date
2008-02-08
Location
Litchfield, IL, USA
Aircraft
Cessna 172RG
Registration
N4726V
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The pilot's intentional low altitude flight and his failure to maintain clearance from the static wire. Contributing to the accident were the static wire, the partial loss of engine power due to propeller vibration, and the muddy field in which the forced landing was made.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he did not observe any obstacles when he overflew the lake, but noted there was some bird activity in the vicinity. He performed a low altitude pass, approximately 100 feet above the lake, without incident. During a second low altitude pass, the pilot heard a "thump" noise which was immediately followed by a loss of engine power and engine vibration. A forced landing was made in a nearby muddy field, but the airplane nosed over shortly after touchdown. The airplane impacted a static wire that was strung across the lake. The wire, approximately 40 feet above the water, was part of two-wire power transmission line. The airplane's propeller had damage consistent with a wire strike.

NTSB coding

View NTSB final report

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