N1412F

On July 8, 1996, about 1930 eastern daylight time, N1412F, a Cessna 172H airplane, struck a power line during takeoff from a road at Cherry Tree, Pennsylvania. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The certificated commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91, and the destination was Titusville, Pennsylvania.

The airplane was landed by another pilot in a nearby field earlier that day due to fuel exhaustion. According to the accident pilot: " Myself and another pilot paced off the dirt road, and also looked for any obstructions that could interfere with the takeoff roll. Everything was in good order, and I felt the flight could be done safely. I added ten gallons of fuel, enough to get met to Titusville Airport, about 3 to 5 miles away. A weight and balance, and also a takeoff distance was completed, and found to be in respectable limits according to the operation manual of the aircraft.

"The weather was not a factor for the flight. Preflight of the Cessna 172 was normal, and all components of the aircraft were in working order. Run-up was normal. The dirt/gravel road had a downhill slope to it. A short field takeoff was performed as directed in the operation manual. The takeoff roll was normal, as I was climbing out, I struck the top wire of a electrical line. This in turn caused the aircraft to turn to the left, and strike the ground. An all out effort was made to recover, but the impact with the wire was too great to control. " The pilot reported no mechanical malfunction.