Piper PA-36-375 accident near Danevang, Texas, February 18, 1997
On February 18, 1997 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-36-375, registered N7167E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Danevang, Texas. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The utility's company failure to notify affected parties of the downed line, and the pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the downed wire. A factor was the downed wire.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 18, 1997 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Danevang, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-36-375 · all PA-36-375s on the register
- Registration
- N7167E · no longer on the register · serial 36-7802005
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that during the fifth spraying pass, he elected to cross under the power lines which he estimated to be suspended about 35 to 40 feet above the ground. As the airplane crossed under the power lines, at an estimated wheel height of 18 inches above ground level, the left main landing gear became entangled on a broken static wire that was left dangling from atop one of the 65 foot poles. The pilot reported that the static wire, which had been previously cut by another airplane, had been pulled off the ground by the utility company and temporarily tied off so one portion of the cable was suspended about 6 feet off the ground. The pilot stated that the airplane decelerated 'rather abruptly' as the gear was torn from the airframe, and the airplane impacted the ground in 'a slight nose low attitude,' skidding along the ground for 190 feet prior to coming to a stop. The power company reported that a power interruption occurred on the evening prior to the accident; however, the downed static line was left unmarked. Neither the property owner nor the operator of the airplane that cut the line were notified of the downed line prior to the accident.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,286 hours in all; 639 in this make and model; 42 in the last 90 days; 39 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,600 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 1996
- Maximum gross weight: 4,800 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-720-D1CD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE at 2:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 pm from PSX, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.