Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Midlothian, Texas 76065
Sunday, April 4, 1999 20:15 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The 80 hour pilot collided with unmarked powerlines while maneuvering at low altitude at dusk. The operator reported that soon after departure, the pilot encountered lowering ceilings while en route to a nearby non-towered airport. The ceilings continued to drop to about 300 feet, when the pilot elected to execute a 180 degree turn and return to Grand Prairie. While en route, the pilot heard a loud pop and saw a bright flash of light. The engine sputtered, but then continued to run normally. The pilot reported that he was following the railroad tracks southbound at low altitude en route to the non-towered airport when he collided with powerlines. The location of the collision with the wires was located by the FAA inspectors with the assistance of the power company. The broken wire was found at the location where the railroad tracks make a shallow right turn. The powerline was suspended 28 feet above the tracks. Paint transfers on portions of the severed wire matched the color scheme of the wings. The damage to the right wing matches the southbound right turn scenario described by the pilot.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the powerlines. Factors were the low ceilings and the dusk light illumination.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/4/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 2015 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | MIDLOTHIAN |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 76065 |
| Event Date Year | 1999 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1953 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | RBD |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Dusk |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 600 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 4 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 20 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 19 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 100 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 65 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 5 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1846 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 27 2001 4:05AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8963V |
| NTSB Number | FTW99LA108 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 172M |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 172M |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 172-64319 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2300 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 22 1999 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 23 |
| Airframe Hours | 3846 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | TEXSAN AVIATION, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | RR 1, BOX 490 |
| Aircraft Owner City | GORDONVILLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 76245 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | MARK HOWELL |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 3122 GREAT SOUTHWESTERN PKWY. |
| Operator City | GRAND PRAIRIE |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 75052 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | GPM |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1950 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 27 2001 4:05AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |