Cessna T206 N34PL

Summary

On 30 September 2023 at about 20:05 local time, a Cessna T206 registered N34PL was involved in an accident near Port Clinton, Ohio, United States. 2 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 September 2023 at 20:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Port Clinton, Ohio, United States

Coordinates

41.5090, -83.0239

Aircraft

Cessna T206

Registration

N34PL

Category

Airplane

Year built

2003

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Millbury

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA23LA385

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot’s failure to detect and avoid unmarked powerline(s) while attempting to take off from a river.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After takeoff the airline transport pilot and pilot-rated passenger of the amphibious airplane performed landings at an airport and on a river, performed airwork, then proceeded west, where when near a river, both looked for wires and poles but neither saw any. The pilot landed uneventfully on the river and while on the step he initiated takeoff. Although the pilot was looking and did not see any wires or poles associated with wires that spanned the river, the pilot-rated passenger spotted unmarked powerlines spanning the river immediately before impact with them during the initial climb and called them out to the pilot. The airplane collided with the wire(s), and the airplane pitched down and impacted the river resulting in substantial damage to the right wing, right wing lift strut, and aft empennage. The pilot stated there were no preimpact failures or malfunctions of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.