The pilot was in a pumpkin drop competition that was being held on a farm in Rexburg, Idaho, that had a new landing strip.
The prevailing winds necessitated that the airplanes fly over transmission wires prior to landing.
The pilot dropped his pumpkins, but missed the target by a long distance. During his landing, he flew over one set of power lines and reduced power to descend and land. The Piper PA-11 inadvertently struck a second, parallel set of wires that he had not seen.
The pilot was hospitalized for 12 weeks following the accident.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to see and avoid transmission wires during the landing approach.
To download the final report. Click here. This will trigger a PDF download to your device.
This October 2024 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.
My guess is that the wires had yet to be marked with those large orange balls that get installed on them by the power company. They probably should not have opened that runway until that was done.
He dropped a pumpkin alright. Hope no permanant damage, but will his ego recover?
Hope he’s healed from his injuries and hope he learned a lesson.