Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from the transmission wire.
NTSB analysis
The pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to locate and observe newborn calves on his ranch. While maneuvering at a low altitude the airplane collided with a transmission wire. He immediately made a forced landing to a nearby road, but the airplane slid off the road and impacted a ditch. The vertical stabilizer was substantially damaged during the wire strike and the fuselage and both wings were substantially damaged during the off-field landing. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. The pilot held an expired student pilot certificate and did not have a current medical certificate.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN10CA307 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Jun 7, 2010
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Northwood, North Dakota
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Dusk
Champion 7ECA
- N-number
- N9620S
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial observation
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.