Cessna 172N N738QT

Summary

On 6 July 2002 at about 16:30 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N738QT was involved in an accident near Otis, Oregon, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 July 2002 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Otis, Oregon, United States

Coordinates

45.0422, -123.9994

Aircraft

Cessna 172N

Registration

N738QT

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Salem → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA02FA125

2 people died.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance with power lines while conducting low altitude flight resulting in a loss of control and subsequent collision with terrain. Contributing factors were the pilot's low altitude flight and the power lines.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the Cessna 172N departed Salem, Oregon, on a personal flight with one passenger. The aircraft was observed flying low in a westerly direction shortly after 9 am over the Salmon River estuary in VFR conditions when it pulled up into a climbing left turn and then descended to the ground impacting in an inverted, nose low attitude. Post-crash examination revealed that the aircraft impacted power lines with its left wingtip. The set of 3 horizontally oriented power lines crossed the estuary approximately 60 feet above ground near the point of aircraft contact and on a 033/213 magnetic bearing line.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.