Crockett, TX, USA
N284DS
DONALD G STOKES CHALLENGER II
The pilot said that as he made his approach, the airplane contacted the top strand of a wire and the right wing clipped a brush pile, resulting in a hard landing. He said the wind was gusty at the time. Both wings were punctured by tree branches and the lift struts and braces were buckled. The nose and left main landing gears had collapsed, buckling the fuselage. There was also a fabric tear in the vertical stabilizer. No pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures were reported by the pilot.
In his accident report, the pilot said that as he made his approach, "a gust of wind pushed [the airplane] near the trees [lying] next to the [air]strip, where the [air]plane['s] right wing caught a brush pile which caused the [air]plane to have a hard landing." In his statement to the Texas Department of Public Safety, however, the pilot said the airplane contacted the top strand of a wire, "causing the {air]plane to pull to the right and strike some piled up fence row clippings with right wing and [air]plane hit the ground collapsing left landing gear." Both wings were punctured by tree branches and the lift struts and braces were buckled. The nose and left main landing gears had collapsed, buckling the fuselage. There was also a fabric tear on the vertical stabilizer. No pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures were reported by the pilot.
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane, resulting in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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