Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a power line while on approach to land.
NTSB analysis
The pilot reported that he departed from his private airstrip with a passenger for a local flight. Upon returning for landing, his neighbor was operating a combine harvester in a soybean field near the runway threshold. The pilot extended his traffic pattern to allow time for the machine to move out of the runway approach path. However, upon turning back toward the runway, the machine had not moved as far as he had expected. The pilot stated that at that point the airplane struck a power line. It subsequently came to rest upside down and was destroyed during the accident sequence. The pilot stated that there were no failures or malfunctions associated with the airplane prior to the accident.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN11CA010 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Oct 10, 2010
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Lonsdale, Minnesota
- Nearest airport
- Private (PVT)
- Highest injury
- Minor
- Minor injuries
- 2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Amateur-built ZENAIR CH701 SP
- N-number
- N157SB
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
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.