Betz Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Blissfield, Michigan 49228
Saturday, August 25, 1990 11:00 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DURING PRACTICE FORCED LANDING, AIRPLANE STRUCK POWER LINES SUSPENDED 20 FEET ABOVE LEVEL GROUND 370 FEET SHORT OF RUNWAY AND 750 FEET SHORT OF DISPLACED THRESHOLD. PILOT STATED HE DID NOT SEE WIRES ON THIS OR THREE PRIOR TOUCH-AND-GO APPROACHES TO SAME RUNWAY.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT WHICH RESULTED IN A COLLISION WITH A UTILITY WIRE.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/25/1990
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1100
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City BLISSFIELD
Event State MICHIGAN
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 49228
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 8
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport BETZ
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 44G
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 691
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1150 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 180
Weather Observation Facility ID TOL
Elevation of weather observation facility 684
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 17
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 22000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 2200
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 8
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 26
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 19
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 220
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 3
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Minor
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 1
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1335
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Aug 25 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1908
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 42646
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 5:15PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N2239V
NTSB Number CHI90LA242
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 140
Aircraft Series Identifier 140
Aircraft Serial Number 14470
Certified Max Gross Weight 1500
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 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection 0
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name MAUMEE VALLEY FLYERS
Aircraft Owner Street Address 1959 CHALICE WAY
Aircraft Owner City TOLEDO
Aircraft Owner State OH
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 43613
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code NONE
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 No
Departure Airport Code 5G9
Departure City LAMBERTVILLE
Departure State MI
Departure Country
Departure Time 1045
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Approach
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 27
Runway Length 2205
Runway Width 100
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --