On January 13, 2001, a Mooney M20C (registration N1398W) was involved in an aviation accident near Somerset, MA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from high-tension cables during low-level flight, which resulted in loss of control and an emergency water landing. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
Aircraft lost vertical stabilizer and rudder after hitting high tension cables during low-level flight, forcing an emergency water landing.
What happened
The incident occurred approximately eight minutes prior to sunset. The aircraft was engaged in a low-altitude flight path traveling northward, closely following the course of a river. During this phase of flight, the airplane collided with high-tension power lines suspended across the area.
The impact with the cables resulted in catastrophic structural failure. Specifically, the vertical stabilizer and rudder were torn from the airframe. With control surfaces compromised, the pilot was unable to maintain controlled flight and executed an emergency landing directly into the river.
Following initial contact with the water, the aircraft skidded along the surface until it struck rocks located along the shoreline. The force of this secondary impact caused additional damage to the airframe.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from high-tension cables during low-level flight, which resulted in loss of control and an emergency water landing.