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| Date: | Wednesday 28 November 2012 |
| Time: | 10:57 |
| Type: |  Taylorcraft BC12-D |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N94973 |
| MSN: | 9373 |
| Engine model: | Continental A-65-8 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | A field northwest of Traer, near Clutier, IA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Traer, IA (K8C6) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The airplane was on approach to an unimproved airstrip when it struck power lines and then impacted terrain. The pilot had previously flown into this airstrip but had not done so recently. When the field was previously used as an airstrip, the power lines were buried; however, the power lines had recently been moved above ground. The pilot may not have been aware that the power lines had been moved above ground, and the lines were not marked. The surviving passenger stated that he never saw the power lines before the airplane struck them. Both wings were consumed by the fire.
The pilot's medical records revealed diagnoses of hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, and bipolar disease. Toxicology testing showed the presence of medications consistent with the treatment of these conditions. Although the pilot’s medical records and toxicology results indicated that the pilot had recently stopped taking some medications that could have adversely affected his performance, his bipolar disease would have had significant negative effects on cognition, including memory and executive functioning/judgment, and would have been disqualifying for a medical certification. Therefore, although it is possible that the pilot's underlying psychiatric disease and its treatment may have affected his judgment, it is not possible to determine the extent to which it may have contributed to the accident.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to monitor, recognize, and identify obstacles on approach to landing, which resulted in an inadvertent collision with power lines. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s expectation and assumption that there were no above-ground power lines in the area.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
FAA register: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=94973
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Nov-2012 11:25 | gerard57 | Added |
| 28-Nov-2012 12:01 | gerard57 | Updated [Total occupants, Location, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 28-Nov-2012 12:19 | gerard57 | Updated [Total fatalities, Other fatalities, Source, Damage, Narrative, ] |
| 28-Nov-2012 12:59 | gerard57 | Updated [Aircraft type, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 28-Nov-2012 14:46 | Geno | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Location, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 02-Dec-2012 04:11 | PC12 | Updated [Source, ] |
| 08-Jan-2013 11:34 | gerard57 | Updated [Source, Narrative, ] |
| 08-Jan-2013 18:57 | Geno | Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:28 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency, ] |
| 28-Nov-2017 13:55 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Total fatalities, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 02-Jul-2022 17:48 | rvargast17 | Updated [Source, Damage, Narrative, ] |
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