The pilot reported that during a low level flight, the Aviat A-1C-200 struck a wire over a river near Irwin, Idaho.
The landing gear contacted the wire, the wire stretched like a “bungee cord,” and then the wire broke.
The airplane pulled to the right with the wire still attached. The pilot landed in the river, and the airplane nosed over.
The recovery of the airplane from the river revealed substantial damage to the fuselage, both wings, and the empennage.
The pilot reported that, “I could have prevented this accident by better observation of power lines over the river.”
Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain obstacle clearance during low level flight, which resulted in the airplane striking a wire, impacting water, and nosing over.
NTSB Identification: GAA15CA255
This August 2015 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.
I make it a habit never to fly under 500 feet AGL unless I’m on approach to an airport. Common sense
There will always be wires and cables stretching across the expanse of rivers and canyons and yes those particularly in ski resort areas. To assume otherwise is to roll the dice and take a very risky chance. I’m reminded of the military jet, an EA6B Prowler, flown by a Marine Crew out of Aviano Air Base Italy in 1998 that engaged in some unauthorized low level flying through the skiing mountains of northern Italy making contact at high speed with a ski lift cable severing it and sending 20 people plunging to their deaths.
Then there was the midwestern Stearman pilot a few years ago who, while flying paying passengers for a fund raising event decided to spice things up a bit by very low level flying along an unfamiliar stretch of river… his passenger died when the plane struck a powerline. He was convicted of a felony and went to prison. At least in some jurisdictions, vehicular homicide applies to negligent operation of an aircraft.
Lucky man, his wingman didn’t leave him.