Cessna 172 N254RA accident near Abilene, Texas

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to see and avoid a cell tower wire during a pipeline patrol flight. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's distraction due to writing down observations about the pipeline while flying.

NTSB analysis

The commercial pilot was conducting a pipeline patrol flight. He reported that, while he was looking down in the cockpit writing down observations about the pipeline, he felt the airplane pull left; the airplane had struck a cell tower wire. The pilot stated that he did not see the wire because he was looking down. The pilot was able to control the airplane, immediately declared an emergency, and landed at an airport about 10 miles north of where the wire strike occurred.

Examination of the airplane revealed that a 4-ft-long section of the left wing was torn off the airplane, just outboard of the left aileron. The pilot stated that many pipeline patrol operations have an observer onboard in addition to the pilot, one of whom looks outside the airplane to observe the pipeline while the other person writes down the observations. He also stated that he could have waited to write down information after passing the tower area.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN19LA070 for the full record.