N126BB

On October 09, 2018, a Aviat S (N126BB) was involved in an incident near Hampton, GA. All 1 person 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 see and avoid power wires during approach.

The biplane pilot reported that, while performing a reconnaissance flight to determine the viability of landing the biplane on the infield section of the racing track for an upcoming airshow, several passes were made, and no power wires were observed. He added that, during an approach to the proposed landing area, the biplane struck a power wire. The pilot aborted the approach, performed a quick controllability check, and decided to land at the nearby airport. The biplane landed without further incident.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left ailerons.

The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the biplane that would have precluded normal operation.

This incident is documented in NTSB report GAA19CA021. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N126BB.