Mooney M10 N9542V accident near Hurlock, Maryland

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to see and avoid power lines during final approach to landing.

NTSB analysis

The pilot stated that he entered the airport traffic pattern for landing at the private airstrip. Aware of the unmarked power lines at the runway threshold, he used the top of one of the poles supporting the lines as a reference for altitude. After clearing the top of the pole, the pilot steepened his descent in order to land, but realized that additional power lines were still in the airplane’s flight path. The pilot applied full engine power in an attempt to clear the power lines, but the airplane’s landing gear struck the lines, and the airplane pitched downward. The airplane impacted the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA12CA413 for the full record.