20000814011659A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Airtrc AT-502 · Helena, AR · August 14, 2000

Date: August 14, 2000 · 07:30 local
Place: Helena, AR
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N73184
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW00LA232
Reported as: Airtrc AT502

N73184Registration cancelled Oct 4, 2002 · Air Tractor AT-502S/N 502-0010 · Built 1988 Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-502 Engine modelPratt & Whitney PT6A seriesTurbo-prop

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) Pilot stated he was flying eastbound into sun as he descended over trees to make another swath run. Due to sunlight in his eyes and glare on canopy he could not see terminal end of a center-pivot irrigation rig approx 10 feet AGL. He stated that approx. 5 to 6 feet of the right outboard wing and half the right aileron were completely severed by collision with the terminal end of the center-pivot irrigation rig.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT STATED HE WAS FLYING EASTBOUND INTO SUN AS HE DESCENDED OVER TREES TO MAKE ANOTHER SWATH RUN. DUE TO SUNLIGHT IN HIS EYES AND GLARE ON CANOPY HE COULD NOT SEE TERMINAL END OF A CENTER-PIVOT IRRIGATION RIG APPROX 10 FEET AGL. HE STATED THAT APPROX. 5 TO 6 FEET OF THE RIGHT OUTBOARD WING AND HALF THE RIGHT AILERON WERE COMPLETELY SEVERED BY COLLISION WITH THE TERMINAL END OF THE CENTER-PIVOT IRRIGATION RIG.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB FTW00LA232Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportHelena, ARthe pilot's failure to maintain obstacle clearance. A contributing factor was the sun glare.Aug 14, 2000 · Substantial damage