N4352P

On August 6, 1999, about 1146 Eastern Daylight Time, a Cessna 182P, N4352P, was substantially damaged after impacting wires, while performing an aborted landing at a private airstrip near Dorrance, Pennsylvania. The certificated private pilot and the passenger received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight that originated at the Wilkes-Barre Wyoming Valley Airport, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector stated that the pilot was performing an approach to an approximately 1,700 foot long airstrip he constructed on a 30-degree up-slope, heading northwest. The airplane touched down long, and the pilot executed a go-around. As the airplane climbed, the pilot had just began to retract the wing flaps, when a gust of wind made the airplane start to sink. The main landing gear then struck a guy wire that spanned about 45 feet above the ground. The guy wire, which remained caught with the landing gear and attached to two telephone poles that also held power-lines, slowed the airplane, nosing it over. The airplane came to rest upright, in a nose down attitude.

After the accident, the pilot stated to the FAA Inspector that the airplane was running fine, and that he had just picked it up from maintenance. The pilot additionally stated that he had made attempts to have the power lines moved away from the airstrip, but received resistance from nearby neighbors.

Examination of the wreckage by the FAA Inspector revealed that there was no evidence of pre-impact failures with the airplane.

The weather reported by an airport located 7 miles to the north, at 1154 was, winds variable at 4 knots, and a temperature of 73 degrees Fahrenheit.