Summary
On June 24, 2007, a Cessna 170A (N1316D) was involved in an accident near Bozeman, MT. The accident resulted in 1 serious injury, with 2 people uninjured out of 3 aboard. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's inadequate visual lookout and failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and uncontrolled descent into terrain while manuevering to avoid the transmission lines. The sun glare was a factor.
The pilot reported that he was flying the airplane over a family member's ranch in a low-altitude, slow flight configuration. He proceeded northbound attempting to regain airspeed when he noticed transmission lines that had previously been visually obstructed to him by the sun. The pilot pulled back on the control yoke attempting to avoid the lines, but the airplane stalled and descended uncontrolled to the ground. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical abnormalities to preclude normal operation of the airplane prior to the accident.
This accident is documented in NTSB report SEA07CA179. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N1316D.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's inadequate visual lookout and failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and uncontrolled descent into terrain while manuevering to avoid the transmission lines. The sun glare was a factor.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The pilot reported that he was flying the airplane over a family member's ranch in a low-altitude, slow flight configuration. He proceeded northbound attempting to regain airspeed when he noticed transmission lines that had previously been visually obstructed to him by the sun. The pilot pulled back on the control yoke attempting to avoid the lines, but the airplane stalled and descended uncontrolled to the ground. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical abnormalities to preclude normal operation of the airplane prior to the accident.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# SEA07CA179