N24WN

On February 27, 1996, at 1720 mountain standard time, a homebuilt Nicholson Thorp T18CWS, N24WN, registered to and operated by the pilot as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, collided with power lines during a precautionary landing, approximately 25 miles west of Grantsville, Utah. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged and the commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated from Wendover, Utah, about 30 minutes before the accident.

During an interview and subsequent written statement, the pilot reported that he was flying one of three planes in a flight en route to Salt Lake City, Utah. The pilot stated that while flying at approximately 600 feet above ground level, he noticed there was no oil pressure. The pilot initiated a precautionary landing to a paved road and noted that there was a truck on the road, but felt that it would be out of the way by the time he landed. The truck, however, was not clear and the pilot initiated a go- around. During the go-around, the airplane collided with a transmission line that was approximately 100 feet above ground level. The airplane was unable to maintain flight and subsequently collided with the terrain.