N80MW – Cessna 185 – 2008-09-05 NTSB Accident Report

On September 05, 2008, a Cessna 185 (N80MW) was involved in an incident near Newberry, MI. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the wires on approach. Contributing to the accident was the sunshine, as reported by the pilot.

The pilot reported that she was making a straight-in visual-flight-rules approach into an uncontrolled airport, where she was heading toward the runway with the sun directly in her eyes. She thought she was on the final approach for the runway when the airplane hit electrical wires that were approximately 80 feet high. The pilot reported that she added power and was able to climb to a safe altitude. She located the intended runway and landed the airplane without incident. The inspection of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder.

This incident is documented in NTSB report CHI08CA278. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N80MW.