History of Flight
On June 12, 2013, at approximately 0930 central daylight time, a Cessna 172K, registration N7045G, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain after striking an electrical transmission power line during approach to James H. Easom Field Airport (M23), Newton, Mississippi. The student pilot was fatally injured, and the flight instructor was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local instructional flight, which was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
The flight instructor reported that after meeting with the student pilot and a preflight briefing, the student pilot preflighted the airplane. After engine start, they taxied and took off from runway 31. They flew southwest and climbed to 2,000 feet mean sea level before returning to the airport. The student entered a left downwind for runway 31 at 1,200 feet msl. The instructor noted the student was slow to respond to instructions, extended the downwind leg farther than normal, and did not extend wing flaps to 10 degrees initially. Later, the student extended flaps and began slowing. On final approach, the instructor asked the student to add power and stop descending, but the student arrested the descent without adding power. The instructor was distracted by airspeed and the student's lack of response and did not see powerlines. When he did see them, he took control, added full power and maximum up elevator. The airplane cleared all but one wire, which the nosewheel contacted, causing the airplane to nose over and impact terrain.
Personnel Information
The flight instructor held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane multi-engine land and commercial privileges for single-engine land. He also held type ratings for BE-300, CE-500, and EMB-500, and a flight instructor certificate for single-engine. His most recent FAA second-class medical was issued October 2, 2012. He reported 6,450 total flight hours, with 500 in the accident make and model.
The student pilot held a student pilot certificate with a third-class medical issued November 8, 2012, with the limitation "Must use hearing amplification." He had never soloed and accumulated 20 total flight hours, all in the accident make and model while receiving instruction.
Aircraft Information
The accident aircraft was a strut-braced high-wing, four-seat, metal airplane with tricycle landing gear. It was powered by a 180-horsepower, normally aspirated, four-cylinder, air-cooled engine driving a fixed-pitch, two-blade metal propeller. Manufactured in 1969, its most recent annual inspection was completed July 1, 2012, at 10,671.7 total hours.
Meteorological Information
Weather at Key Field Airport (MEI), Meridian, Mississippi, 20 nautical miles east, at 0958 reported: wind 300 degrees at 7 knots, visibility 10 miles, sky clear, temperature 30°C, dew point 23°C, altimeter 30.10 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane came to rest inverted near an electrical transmission corridor crossing the final approach path about 2,290 feet from runway 31 threshold. Wire contact marks were on the nose landing gear tire, strut, lower engine cowling, engine mount, and propeller, consistent with a left bank contact first with the propeller then nose gear.
Airframe examination showed control continuity from ailerons, elevator, rudder to controls; fuel tanks were empty with staining; fuel selector was off by first responders. Seatbelts were installed but no shoulder harnesses; left front seat secondary stop reel belt end fitting was detached. Master switch was on, throttle full, mixture full rich, primer locked, carburetor heat off. Flap selector separated; magneto switch off by responders.
Engine examination found no preimpact failures; drive train continuity, thumb compression on all cylinders, normal spark plugs, magnetos attached.
Transmission line examination revealed no wire markers. The struck top wire was a 5/16-inch diameter static wire above conductors between 75-foot towers. About 1,000 feet of static wire and two insulator shoes required replacement.
The powerlines were not listed in the Airport Facility Directory for M23 but were depicted on the Memphis Sectional Aeronautical Chart.
Additional Information
Mississippi Power Company installed Spherical Aviation Wire Markers after the accident to help preclude wire strikes for runway 31 at M23.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy on the student pilot determined cause of death as blunt force trauma. Toxicological testing was negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, basic, acidic, and neutral drugs.
Tests and Research
FAA publication indicates cockpit sound intensity in an average single-engine airplane is 70-90 decibels, which can interfere with speech. The student pilot was required to use hearing amplification due to inability to hear an average conversational voice during his medical examination. According to the pilot's wife, he used to wear a hearing aid but no longer did. The flight instructor stated that on the accident flight, neither wore headsets; when he told the student to "Push the power up," it seemed the student did not hear him, and the instructor did not recall the student wearing a hearing aid. No hearing aid was recovered.
A survey by Mississippi Power Company using LIDAR and conventional means found that the electrical transmission lines were below the 7.00-degree glide path displayed by the PVASI and below obstruction identification surfaces under 14 CFR Part 77, and in many areas were at or below trees on the approach end of runway 31.