20030401008049A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Ayres S2RT34NORMAL · Avondale, AZ · April 1, 2003

Date: April 1, 2003 · 13:00 local
Place: Avondale, AZ
Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: ZFEG
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N30913
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX03LA122
Reported as: Ayres S2RT34NORMAL
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 44,000 total1,000 in this make and model80 in the last 90 days

N30913Registration cancelled Nov 30, 2005 · Ayres S2R-T34S/N T34-093 · Built 1988 Airframe modelAyres S2R-T34 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) While airman was spraying a farmers field and passing beneath electrical wires, the airman needed to maneuver over a backhoe while also remaining below the wires. The tail of the aircraft struck the wires damaging the top of the vertical stabilizer. The aircraft was able to continue back to the airport of departure.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) WHILE AIRMAN WAS SPRAYING A FARMERS FIELD AND PASSING BENEATH ELECTRICAL WIRES, THE AIRMAN NEEDED TO MANEUVER OVER A BACKHOE WHILE ALSO REMAINING BELOW THE WIRES. THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE WIRES DAMAGING THE TOP OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE BACK TO THE AIRPORT OF DEPARTURE.

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 LAX03LA122Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportAvondale, AZThe pilot failed to maintain adequate visual lookout and did not maintain clearance from power lines. The backhoe's location, which caused the pilot to alter his planned flight path, was a factor.Apr 1, 2003 · Substantial damage