Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Prairieville, Michigan 49070
Saturday, January 24, 2004 13:30 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The airplane impacted three transmission lines while on final approach to a frozen lake. The accident occurred when a flight of two airplanes was attempting to land. The accident airplane was following the other airplane during the final approach to the lake. The pilot of the preceding airplane announced over the radio "watch for wires" just prior to a successful landing. The accident pilot stated his airplane's landing skis caught all three transmission wires as he attempted to climb away from the obstacle. He reported the landing skis collapsed during the subsequent hard landing and the airplane slid nose-down for approximately 100 feet. The transmission wires were not marked and their support poles were positioned in a forested area adjacent to the lakeshore.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's failure to maintain altitude/clearance from the transmission wires during final approach. Factors to the accident were the unmarked transmission wires and their support poles.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/24/2004
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1330
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City Prairieville
Event State MICHIGAN
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 49070
Event Date Year 2004
Event Date Month 1
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 422900N
Event Location Longitude 0853200W
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 1353 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 180
Weather Observation Facility ID AZO
Elevation of weather observation facility 874
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 15
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height --
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 11000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Few
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) -8
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) --
Variable Wind Indicator Variable
Wind Speed (knots) --
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30.17
Density Altitude (feet) -1922
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 1
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 16035
NTSB Notification Source FAA
NTSB Notification Date Jan 24 2004 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1409
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Sep 1 2004 7:08AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\MONR
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office Federal Aviation Administration: Grand Rapids FSDO

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N1087E
NTSB Number CHI04LA061
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? No
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Aeronca
Aircraft Model 7AC
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 7AC-4640
Certified Max Gross Weight 1220
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 Annual
Date of Last Inspection Oct 1 2003 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 37
Airframe Hours 2880
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name Frank Edward Blink
Aircraft Owner Street Address 589 28th Street
Aircraft Owner City Allegan
Aircraft Owner State MI
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 49010
Operator is an individual? Yes
Operator Name Frank Edward Blink
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 589 28th Street
Operator City Allegan
Operator State MI
Operator Country USA
Operator Zip code 49010
Operator Code --
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? --
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation --
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 61D
Departure City Plainwell
Departure State MI
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1315
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code --
Destination City Prairieville
Destination State MI
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight Approach - VFR pattern - final approach
Report sent to ICAO? No
Evacuation occurred No
Date of most recent change to record Jun 23 2004 8:44AM
User who most recently changed record SULP
Since inspection or accident Last Inspection
Event Location Runway Number and Location NA
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --