What happened
Approximately at 20:20 Central Daylight Time, witnesses observed an aircraft making several low passes over the Platte River in the vicinity of Valley, Nebraska. During the final pass, the aircraft struck overhead power lines and subsequently crashed into the river. The wreckage came to rest in the main channel of the river, submerged in approximately 25 feet of water.
The investigation
A physical examination of the recovered wreckage revealed that the right wing and the top section of the aircraft had impacted the power lines. Analysis of the impact points indicated that if the aircraft had been approximately 2.5 feet lower in altitude, it would have cleared below the cables without contact.