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ERA10CA476

2010-09-12 · Gainesville, Georgia, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport GVL

Current FAA registration · N311U

Make / Model
VAN'S AIRCRAFT RV-4
Year of manufacture
1999 · 11 years old at event
Engine
AMA/EXPR UNKNOWN ENG
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19990628
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A34C4A

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to see and avoid marked power lines during low-level flight over a lake.

Factual narrative

According to the pilot, while on a cross country flight, he descended and overflew a lake along his route of flight. Flying into the setting sun at low level over the lake, the right main landing gear struck a marked power line, about 70 feet above the lake's surface, which separated the right landing gear and broke an engine mount on the airplane. The pilot turned "immediately" for a nearby airport and completed the forced landing which collapsed the left main landing gear and damaged the firewall. The pilot reported there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane. A witness stated that the power lines were marked by orange balls, while the pilot stated that the balls were red and "dark." When asked how the accident could have been prevented, the pilot stated that "yellow or white balls would have been easier to see." According to the pilot, while on a cross country flight he decided to descend and overfly a lake. While maneuvering over the lake with the setting sun at low level, the right main landing gear struck a marked power line, about 70 feet above the lake's surface; the right landing gear separated and broke an engine mount on the airplane. The pilot immediately turned the airplane toward a nearby airport and performed a forced landing. The left main landing gear collapsed on landing and the firewall sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. A witness stated that the power lines were marked by orange balls, while the pilot stated that the balls were red and dark. When asked how the accident could have been prevented, the pilot stated that yellow or white balls would have been easier to see. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Lack of action-Pilot - C
  • C Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Wire-Awareness of condition - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2010_ERA10CA476.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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