Amateur-built PIETENPOL AIRCAMPER accident near England, Arkansas, December 2, 1998
On December 2, 1998 at about 8:25 pm local time, a amateur-built PIETENPOL AIRCAMPER, registered N396S, was substantially damaged in an accident near England, Arkansas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the powerline while maneuvering.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 2, 1998 · about 8:25 pm local time
- Place
- England, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built PIETENPOL AIRCAMPER PIETENPOL
- Registration
- N396S · registry record · serial AH-1
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the high wing tailwheel equipped airplane lost control of the airplane after impacting a powerline that was suspended 30 feet above the ground. Witnesses near the accident site observed the airplane maneuvering at low altitude prior to the accident. A nearby resident reported to law enforcement officers that he heard the sound of the airplane engine flying near his residence. The resident reported that the sound of the engine stopped about the same time that his home lost electrical power. The resident went outside and found that the single powerline servicing his home was down on the ground. The remains of the wood and fabric airplane came to rest on a southerly heading, about 200 feet beyond the point where the wire was severed. The commercial pilot was occupying the front seat of the 2-seat tandem airplane. Flight control continuity was established to all flight surfaces. Likewise, continuity was established to all engine controls. Fuel was found at the site and there was no fire.
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: 1,936 hours in all; 1,085 in this make and model; 47 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 1,936 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,083 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 22, 1998; 76 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C85 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: M99 Benton AR at 7:55 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N396S the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.