North American AT6 - C N164EW accident near Roxbury, New York

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate obstacle clearance, which resulted in the inflight collision with a power line.

NTSB analysis

According to pilot he checked the weather at his destination airport and it called for VFR weather. While enroute to his destination he stated that the weather was deteriorating and the ceilings were getting low. As a precaution he started to look for a place to land since the weather was closing in and his fuel was also getting low. The pilot located a private grass strip and made an attempt to land. As the airplane touched down on the field the pilot applied the brakes, but he had little brake response due to the wet grass. When the pilot relized that he would be unable to stop the airplane prior to the end of the runway, he initiated a go-around and struck a power line follow by trees before losing control and colliding with the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot did not report any mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation prior to the accident.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA14CA238 for the full record.