Amateur-built FERGUSON F-II accident near Benton City, Washington, July 21, 2000
On July 21, 2000 at about 8:45 pm local time, a amateur-built FERGUSON F-II, registered N8228R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Benton City, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 pilot's failure to approach the strip with adequate airspeed for the conditions (resulting in a stall/mush situation), and his failure to maintain adequate altitude and/or clearance above a power line on the approach path. Factors included crosswind conditions, terrain-induced turbulence, and the power line.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 21, 2000 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Benton City, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built FERGUSON F-II FERGUSON F
- Registration
- N8228R · no longer on the register · serial 017
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was approaching runway 01 at his strip from the southwest, with wind from the east-northeast at 10 to 15 knots. The pilot stated that on his approach to the runway, he had to cross over a north-south power line that was about 30 feet high. The pilot stated that just as the plane passed a row of 70-foot-high trees located to the right of the approach path, at an altitude of about 50 feet, he 'felt the plane stall.' The pilot stated he applied full throttle, but that the airplane 'did [not] respond quick enough to avoid the power line.' The pilot stated that the aircraft's left wheel caught and broke the power line, which 'threw the plane in a left downward [attitude with] the left wing hitting first then the nose.' The pilot reported: 'I had landed on this runway numerous times but never with this wind velocity or direction.' The pilot indicated that no mechanical malfunction or failure was involved in the accident, and that he felt the accident could have been prevented by 'faster [approach] speed [and] higher altitude.'
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
- Flight time: 550 hours in all; 227 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 225 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 21, 2000; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 900 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Hirth 2704 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Unknown
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 1, 650 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 077° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°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.
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.