STATESVILLE, NC, USA
N115DB
BROWN VAN'S RV-3
THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A LOW PASS MANEUVER OVER THE PRIVATE AIRSTRIP AND COLLIDED WITH NEARBY, UTILITY LINES ABOUT 40 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES THE AIRPLANE WAS FLYING AT SPEEDS MORE THAN 200 MPH AND THERE WAS NO ATTEMPT TO AVOID THE COLLISION; THE SOUTHERLY FLIGHT PATH PLACED THE SUN INTO THE PILOT EYES. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT FAILED TO DISCLOSE ANY MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRPLANE, NOR WERE AIRCRAFT PROBLEMS NOTICED OR HEARD BY THE GROUND OBSERVERS.
On September 11, 1993, at 1820 eastern daylight time, a Brown Van's RV-3, N115DB, collided with utility lines during a low pass over a private airstrip near Statesville, North Carolina. The personal flight operated under 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane was substantially damaged and the pilot received debilitating serious head injuries (see attached statement of pilot's medical condition). The flight's exact departure time from Statesville was not determined. According to the airstrip owner, N115DB circled the airport several times and conducted a low fly-by about 40 feet above the ground. Several witnesses observed the airplane as it flew overhead in a southerly direction. The pilot continued the level attitude until the airplane collided with the second strand of wire from the top; there was no attempt to avoid the collision. The wreckage examination failed to discover any mechanical problems; nor did the witnesses report hearing or observing engine or flight control difficulty with the airplane. The pilot has not recovered sufficiently from head injuries to render his account of the accident.
WAS THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO SEE AND AVOID UTILITY LINES. A FACTOR WAS THE SUNGLARE.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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