Beaver FERGUSON F-II N8228R

Summary

On 21 July 2000 at about 20:45 local time, a Beaver FERGUSON F-II registered N8228R, operated by Gary D. Brons, was involved in an accident near Benton City, Washington, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 July 2000 at 20:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Benton City, Washington, United States

Coordinates

46.2395, -119.4894

Aircraft

Beaver FERGUSON F-II

Registration

N8228R

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Gary D. Brons

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA00LA137

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to approach the strip with adequate airspeed for the conditions (resulting in a stall/mush situation), and his failure to maintain adequate altitude and/or clearance above a power line on the approach path. Factors included crosswind conditions, terrain-induced turbulence, and the power line.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was approaching runway 01 at his strip from the southwest, with wind from the east-northeast at 10 to 15 knots. The pilot stated that on his approach to the runway, he had to cross over a north-south power line that was about 30 feet high. The pilot stated that just as the plane passed a row of 70-foot-high trees located to the right of the approach path, at an altitude of about 50 feet, he 'felt the plane stall.' The pilot stated he applied full throttle, but that the airplane 'did [not] respond quick enough to avoid the power line.' The pilot stated that the aircraft's left wheel caught and broke the power line, which 'threw the plane in a left downward [attitude with] the left wing hitting first then the nose.' The pilot reported: 'I had landed on this runway numerous times but never with this wind velocity or direction.' The pilot indicated that no mechanical malfunction or failure was involved in the accident, and that he felt the accident could have been prevented by 'faster [approach] speed [and] higher altitude.'

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.