Aircraft: Republic RC-3 Seabee. Injuries: 1 Fatal. Location: Cedar Bluff, Ala. Aircraft damage: Destroyed.
What reportedly happened: The pilot of the amphibious airplane flew to visit a friend who lived on the shore of a lake. According to the pilot’s friend, the pilot normally approached the lake from the north, made a left 180° turn, and then landed to the north.
On the day of the accident, however, the wind was calm, and instead of landing to the north, the pilot flew over his friend’s house from the west, about 400 feet above ground level, made a left 180° turn, and began a descent toward the surface of the lake.
During the descent, the airplane hit a set of electrical transmission lines. The Seabee rolled upside down and crashed into the lake.
Examination of the electrical transmission lines revealed that they were unmarked where they crossed the lake. According to a FAAinspector and local witnesses, the lines were hard to see and did not contrast well with the surrounding terrain due to the color of the sky, water, and cloud cover.
Investigators noted the pilot should have been aware of the lines, because they were depicted on the sectional chart for the area, and he had landed on the lake several times before.
Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to see and avoid power lines during final approach to landing.
NTSB Identification: ERA12LA562
This August 2012 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
The FAA makes pilots like you and me,
Every two years we are faced with their call,
The third class medical is costly and not free,
But I don’t they check for orange balls.
Being marked on sectional charts should only be acceptable if it is unlikely an aircraft will be landing there. But near anywhere that an aircraft would be landing the transmission lines should be marked with orange balls.
“Lee Ensminger says: September 5, 2014 at 8:56 am
John, if the power company was required to orange ball the lines and *didn’t* do it, you have a very valid point. But if not…it was shown on the chart, the lines didn’t suddenly move and hit him, he hit them, and they were already established. I’m sorry he died; it’s clearly a tragedy. But he flew into an obstacle. He had to be responsible.”
Dearest LEE ENSMINDER
if you were a pilot you could NOT possibly write such NONSENSE
a line marked on the chart ah ah
time to check your brain
Dear GZITPA,
I’ve checked my brain and find it capable of common sense, such as doing a complete check of a potential landing area before I attempt to use it. Can’t see the wires? Okay, but I’ll bet there were some large poles or towers between which the wires were strung. No problem seeing those. Or if you can’t, maybe you have no business flying airplanes. I am a private pilot SEL, so you’re wrong about that as well. Finally, if you can’t spell, at least learn how to copy and paste. If you can’t do that, maybe you shouldn’t be using a computer, either. I so enjoy being criticized by people who hide behind an anonymous screen name and have no concept of grammar and punctuation. It does not lend credibility to your “thoughts.”
“No one can see the wires
We go to the movies and watch *Steve McQueen *in the “Great Escape” when he
needs a motorcycle…he stretches a wire across the road and
we ALL know what comes next…In the movie ” Where Eagles Dare ” when *Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton *are chased by Nazis… they get off their side car and stretch a wire …
we all know what comes next…
California paid millions of dollars to bury the wires because the *Condors*could not see them (and Condors die drinking anti-freeze)!
People will pay to have their names on the ball;just as the road program
where people sign a “Hold harmless” clause to satisfy the lawyers”
ADOPT-A-WIRE ” will comply with the law and save lives;
We ALL know pilots cannot see wires ;the FAA knows it ;the NTSB knows it , this is why it is *MANDATORY* to mark wires around airports; ….
but you fail to mention this fact ….
Pilots die hitting wire on a regular base …HE typically is a young ,highly trained pilot,often in a helicopter coming back from a rescue mission…lift up and Voila = every body dies !
SInce the beginning of Aviation the power lines kill on a regular basis .We need to let people mark the wires with the orange balls and let them advertise on the ball ,same as Adopt a highway !
WOW! Always the pilots fault. Would have been nice if the power company had been proactive and “orange balled” the power lines.
John, if the power company was required to orange ball the lines and *didn’t* do it, you have a very valid point. But if not…it was shown on the chart, the lines didn’t suddenly move and hit him, he hit them, and they were already established. I’m sorry he died; it’s clearly a tragedy. But he flew into an obstacle. He had to be responsible.
He flew to see a friend on the lake,
Power lines stood in the way so tall,
Turns out it was a large mistake,
With no help from a big orange ball.