Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot failed to maintain clearance with the wires while on final approach. Factors associated with the accident were the low altitude, the downdraft, and the wires which the airplane contacted.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On May 31, 2002, at 1705 central daylight time, a Cessna 182J, N3027F, owned and piloted by an airline transport rated pilot, sustained substantial damage when the aircraft struck power lines on final approach for runway 27 (2,500 feet by 50 feet, dry/turf) at Carhart Farms Airport, Galesville, Wisconsin. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot and his two passengers reported no injuries. The local flight had originated at Carhart Farms Airport at 1615.
According to the pilot's written statement, upon returning to Carhart Farms Airport he turned to base leg, extended half flaps, and added some power. The pilot stated, "Just as I added power there was a down draft which caused me to add more power." He reported that upon turning to final approach, he applied full flaps and experienced "...another considerable down draft which caused me to go to full power nose up slightly ... about that time I caught the high lines with the nose gear." According to the pilot, "We slowed quickly but a wire broke and I got the nose back up another wire got tight and pulled us down." The pilot stated that after touchdown the nose gear folded back and the propeller struck the ground.
The wind was reported to be 330 degrees at 9 knots at the La Crosse Municipal Airport, La Crosse, Wisconsin, 22 miles southeast of Carhart Farms Airport.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CHI02LA146