Accident Summary
On August 13, 2019, at 1151 central daylight time, a Cessna 172K, registration N84287, was substantially damaged when it impacted power lines and collided with terrain on a sandbar near the Escambia River near Jay, Florida. The commercial pilot sustained serious injuries. The airplane was registered to a private individual and operated by Brewton Aviation, LLC under 14 CFR Part 91 as a repositioning flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed Brewton Municipal Airport (12J), Brewton, Alabama, about 1145 and was destined for Pensacola International Airport (PNS), Pensacola, Florida.
Flight History
The pilot, a pipeline patrol pilot for Brewton Aviation, was conducting a normal repositioning flight to his home base at PNS, approximately 40 nautical miles south of 12J. The Vice President of the company was notified by local law enforcement around 1215 that an emergency locator transmitter had been activated. Company witnesses stated the pilot departed 12J about 1145. The Vice President conducted an aerial search and found the injured pilot and the inverted, damaged airplane on a sandbar bordering the Escambia River, about 10 nm southwest of the departure airport. The airplane had struck transmission power lines crossing the river before colliding with the sandbar.
Pilot Interview
An FAA inspector interviewed the pilot in the hospital. The pilot stated he had no memory of the accident but remembered takeoff and lining up on final approach with the sandbar due to an unknown issue; he could not identify the problem. He recalled performing pipeline patrol the previous day but poor weather prevented him from flying to 12J, so he flew to his home base at PNS. On the accident day, he departed PNS around 1000, flew to 12J to complete administrative tasks, then returned to PNS. He remembered taking off from runway 24 and normally climbing to 1,500 ft msl. He did not recall specific details after takeoff through lining up for landing. He normally flew southwest to avoid Whiting Field Naval Air Station North airspace. When asked about sightseeing, he said, "I wasn't ridiculously low."
About a week after the accident, a follow-up telephone interview was conducted by an NTSB investigator. The pilot requested his father attend due to his injuries. His father stated his son had no memory of the flight or aircraft condition except for putting the airplane into a landing attitude.
GPS Data
A handheld Garmin GPSmap 496 was recovered and data downloaded. The data showed the flight departed runway 24 at PNS and climbed to 250 ft msl before turning northwest and climbing to 700 ft msl. It made a climbing left turn south to 900 ft msl, then turned southwest on a heading of about 251°, climbing to 1,294 ft msl at 104 knots. The airplane then descended to 333 ft msl, making a left descending turn to about 198°, arriving directly over the Escambia River at 76 ft msl and 92 knots. It flew over the river for 1.5 miles at altitudes between 76 and 160 ft msl. It briefly climbed to 380 ft msl at a sharp bend, then made a climbing left turn to 485 ft msl before descending to 368 ft msl on a heading of 301°, rejoining the river. It continued descending to 117 ft msl and 110 knots about 700 ft before the power lines. Immediately before impact, the airplane was at 105 ft msl, heading about 228°, at 87 knots. The last recorded data showed 188 ft msl, 57 knots, heading about 224°. From the moment the airplane was over the river until impact, it flew about 4.5 nm. The elevation of the river at the power lines is about 45 ft msl, and the power lines were about 60 ft above ground level.
Pilot and Aircraft Information
The pilot held a commercial pilot and flight instructor certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument. He was issued an FAA first-class medical certificate on December 26, 2018. His logbook showed 1,012 hours total time, with 798 hours in the accident airplane make and model. In the last 90 days, he accumulated 407 hours.
The airplane was issued a standard airworthiness certificate on June 24, 1969. It was a four-place, externally braced high-wing airplane with fixed tricycle landing gear and a Lycoming O-320-E2D, 160-horsepower engine driving a two-blade metal fixed-pitch propeller.
Weather Conditions
Weather reported at Whiting Field Naval Air Station North (NSE), about 20 miles south of the accident site, at 1156 included wind variable at 3 knots, visibility 1.5 statute miles with rain, scattered clouds at 2,500 ft, temperature 32°C, dew point 27°C, and altimeter setting 29.92 inches of mercury.
Wreckage Examination
An FAA inspector examined the airplane. It was inverted with flaps stowed. Both wings were severely deformed, the nose landing gear was sheared off, the main landing gear bent aft, and the fuselage had multiple fractures and buckling. The propeller spinner was uniformly crushed; one blade exhibited S-bending and polishing/scuff marks consistent with power line impact; the opposing blade was slightly bent with a gouge at the tip. The left wing leading edge had multiple indications of power line contact. Control continuity was confirmed. Engine drivetrain continuity was established; cylinder compression was present, and borescope examination revealed no anomalies. Both magnetos produced healthy spark. No anomalies were discovered with the engine or engine components.
Regulatory Information
FAA regulations (14 CFR 91.119) prohibit operating an aircraft less than 500 feet above the surface in uncongested areas unless approaching to land or taking off, and at least 1,000 feet from obstacles in congested areas. Additionally, 14 CFR 91.13 prohibits operations in a reckless manner that endanger life or property. The Advisory Circular (AC No. 70/7460-1L) sets standards for marking and lighting obstructions; markers were not required on these power lines. The VFR Aeronautical Chart at the accident site shows a "power transmission line" symbol.