Piper J-5A accident near Rexburg, Idaho, February 20, 1999
On February 20, 1999 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Piper J-5A, registered N28123, was substantially damaged in an accident near Rexburg, Idaho. 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 maintain clearance from power lines.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 20, 1999 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Rexburg, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J-5A · all J-5As on the register
- Registration
- N28123 · registry record · serial 5-109
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While flying over a friend's house, the airplane struck a set of power lines. After striking the power lines, the pilot attempted to land in a nearby field, due to extensive damage to the aircraft's rudder. The aircraft's right main gear collapsed during the forced landing. The power lines were approximately 35 feet above the ground. The pilot reported no mechanical failure or malfunction with the aircraft prior to colliding with the power lines.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 460 hours in all; 400 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 1998
- Maximum gross weight: 1,490 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RXE ID at 8:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°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.