Casualties unknown

Low Pass Over Farm Ends in Power Line Collision and Fire (N99SP)

3M SE OF Benton, MO, US

On June 23, 1983, a Piper PA-24-250 (registration N99SP) was involved in an aviation accident near 3M SE OF Benton, MO. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 2026-06-10Data APIEditorial standards

A low pass over a relative's farm resulted in a collision with a power line; the aircraft crashed and burned. The sole surviving occupant, a boy, escaped the wreckage.

Incident Overview

According to the surviving passenger, a boy, the pilot was operating the aircraft from the right seat. The flight proceeded to the vicinity of the pilot's property, where the pilot initiated a low pass over a farm belonging to a relative. At the time, a combine operator was harvesting grain in a field below. During the pass, the aircraft collided with a power line, subsequently crashed, and caught fire. The boy was the only occupant to escape from the plane.

Circumstances

The purpose of the flight was not specified. The low pass was conducted near the combine operator, but no further details about the aircraft's altitude or speed were provided. The power line involved in the collision was not described. The crash and ensuing fire destroyed the aircraft; no information was given about the extent of damage to property or the combine operator's involvement.

Survivor Account

The surviving passenger, identified only as a boy, provided the account of the events. His statement indicated that the pilot was flying from the right seat, but no additional details about the pilot's identity or experience were included. The boy's escape from the burning aircraft was the only survival reported; the status of other occupants was not stated in the source.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20001214X43460. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.