N5114N

On November 29, 1995, about 1315 hours Pacific standard time, a Boeing B75-N1, N5114N, collided with a light pole while executing a low approach north of runway 26 at Chino Airport, Chino, California. The pilot was conducting a local visual flight rules personal flight and he landed the airplane on runway 26 without further incident. The airplane, registered to and operated by a private individual, sustained substantial damage. The certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at Chino Airport about 1300 hours.

A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) operations inspector from the Riverside [California] Flight Standards District Office reported this accident to the National Transportation Safety Board on December 7, 1995. He said that a filming company asked the accident pilot and another pilot to execute a low approach over the airport so that they could film their airplanes in the background.

The local controller granted the pilot's request to execute a low approach over the airport from the east to the west. During the low approach, the left wing of the accident aircraft struck the top of an aluminum light pole.

The pilot reported in a letter to the FAA that he was asked by an unknown person to slow to 70 knots indicated airspeed while on final approach for the low pass. He said that since he was offset to the north his approach was much steeper than normal. He said that he allowed the airspeed to drop off too much and he leveled off at a lower altitude than anticipated. When he added power to stabilize the airplane, the left wing struck the pole that he did not see.

After contacting the pole, the airplane remained stable and he landed on runway 26 without further incident after reentering the traffic pattern.