What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4) On December 6, 2000, at about 0915 eastern standard time, an air tractor AT-502, N50470, registered to a private owner, operated by south Florida crop care as a 14 CFR part 137 aerial application flight experienced an in-flight collision with a wire during an aerial application swath run. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no injuries. The flight originated from Belle Glade State airport, Belle Glade, Florida, about 30 minutes before the accident. The pilot stated he had made an aerial application swath run to west, turned east and collided with wires. He further stated he had sprayed in the area before and picked out the wrong wires resulting in the in-flight collision with the wires. He immediately experienced a control problem and was going to make a forced landing to a highway, but elected not to do so due to traffic. He approached Belle Glade State airport from the north and was planning on making a right turn to runway 27. He had to use full left aileron to prevent the airplane from rolling. On touchdown, the airplane started an uncommanded turn to the right, departed the runway, skipped a ditch into a cane field, and spun around 180 degrees before coming to a complete stop. (-23)while making a reposition turn, pilot picked wrong set of poles to judge height and struck wire. Aircraft was flown back to Belle Glade airport. Landing was made on runway 27. Pilot lost control during the rollout due to the wing damage. The aircraft came to a stop in a sugar cane field with additional damage to the aircraft wing leading edges. Wire strike caused damage to the prop and right wing.
As the FAA filed it
(.4) ON DECEMBER 6, 2000, AT ABOUT 0915 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, AN AIR TRACTOR AT-502, N50470, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE OWNER, OPERATED BY SOUTH FLORIDA CROP CARE AS A 14 CFR PART 137 AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT EXPERIENCED AN IN-FLIGHT COLLISION WITH A WIRE DURING AN AERIAL APPLICATION SWATH RUN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT REPORTED NO INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM BELLE GLADE STATE AIRPORT, BELLE GLADE, FLORIDA, ABOUT 30 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT STATED HE HAD MADE AN AERIAL APPLICATION SWATH RUN TO WEST, TURNED EAST AND COLLIDED WITH WIRES. HE FURTHER STATED HE HAD SPRAYED IN THE AREA BEFORE AND PICKED OUT THE WRONG WIRES RESULTING IN THE IN-FLIGHT COLLISION WITH THE WIRES. HE IMMEDIATELY EXPERIENCED A CONTROL PROBLEM AND WAS GOING TO MAKE A FORCED LANDING TO A HIGHWAY, BUT ELECTED NOT TO DO SO DUE TO TRAFFIC. HE APPROACHED BELLE GLADE STATE AIRPORT FROM THE NORTH AND WAS PLANNING ON MAKING A RIGHT TURN TO RUNWAY 27. HE HAD TO USE FULL LEFT AILERON TO PREVENT THE AIRPLANE FROM ROLLING. ON TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRPLANE STARTED AN UNCOMMANDED TURN TO THE RIGHT, DEPARTED THE RUNWAY, SKIPPED A DITCH INTO A CANE FIELD, AND SPUN AROUND 180 DEGREES BEFORE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. (-23)WHILE MAKING A REPOSITION TURN, PILOT PICKED WRONG SET OF POLES TO JUDGE HEIGHT AND STRUCK WIRE. AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN BACK TO BELLE GLADE AIRPORT. LANDING WAS MADE ON RUNWAY 27. PILOT LOST CONTROL DURING THE ROLLOUT DUE TO THE WING DAMAGE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP IN A SUGAR CANE FIELD WITH ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WING LEADING EDGES. WIRE STRIKE CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE PROP AND RIGHT WING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.