Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Benton City, Washington 99320
Friday, July 21, 2000 13:45 PDT

The pilot was approaching runway 01 at his strip from the southwest, with wind from the east-northeast at 10 to 15 knots. The pilot stated that on his approach to the runway, he had to cross over a north-south power line that was about 30 feet high. The pilot stated that just as the plane passed a row of 70-foot-high trees located to the right of the approach path, at an altitude of about 50 feet, he 'felt the plane stall.' The pilot stated he applied full throttle, but that the airplane 'did [not] respond quick enough to avoid the power line.' The pilot stated that the aircraft's left wheel caught and broke the power line, which 'threw the plane in a left downward [attitude with] the left wing hitting first then the nose.' The pilot reported: 'I had landed on this runway numerous times but never with this wind velocity or direction.' The pilot indicated that no mechanical malfunction or failure was involved in the accident, and that he felt the accident could have been prevented by 'faster [approach] speed [and] higher altitude.'

The pilot's failure to approach the strip with adequate airspeed for the conditions (resulting in a stall/mush situation), and his failure to maintain adequate altitude and/or clearance above a power line on the approach path. Factors included crosswind conditions, terrain-induced turbulence, and the power line.