20040615017779A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna A188B · Rush Springs, OK · June 15, 2004

Date: June 15, 2004 · 14:30 local
Place: Rush Springs, OK
Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: T5WG
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N21650
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW04LA162
Reported as: Cessna A188B
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,000 total2,900 in this make and model120 in the last 90 days

N21650Registration cancelled Jul 23, 2007 · Cessna A188BS/N 18800933 · Built 1972 Airframe modelCessna A188B Engine modelContinental IO-520 seriesReciprocating

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 entered field from the north, headed due south. He crossed over the east/west tree line on the north edge of the field and descended rapidly to start his spray run. As he was setting his "a-b" line on his satloc he leveled out and immediately struck two unseen suspended power lines. The airplane decelerated rapidly and was pulled violently to the right. One of the power lines wrapped around the right spray boom and tore it away. The pilot believed he was going to impact the ground so he pushed the emergency handle and dumped his load of grazon. A large quantity of the chemical entered the cockpit and covered the pilots face and eyes. The pilot looked for a place to land but determined that the aircraft was still flyable and elected to return to his airstrip a few miles to the north. He had a very hard landing due to lack of complete control of the aircraft and the chemicals in his eyes.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT ENTERED FIELD FROM THE NORTH, HEADED DUE SOUTH. HE CROSSED OVER THE EAST/WEST TREE LINE ON THE NORTH EDGE OF THE FIELD AND DESCENDED RAPIDLY TO START HIS SPRAY RUN. AS HE WAS SETTING HIS "A-B" LINE ON HIS SATLOC HE LEVELED OUT AND IMMEDIATELY STRUCK TWO UNSEEN SUSPENDED POWER LINES. THE AIRPLANE DECELERATED RAPIDLY AND WAS PULLED VIOLENTLY TO THE RIGHT. ONE OF THE POWER LINES WRAPPED AROUND THE RIGHT SPRAY BOOM AND TORE IT AWAY. THE PILOT BELIEVED HE WAS GOING TO IMPACT THE GROUND SO HE PUSHED THE EMERGENCY HANDLE AND DUMPED HIS LOAD OF GRAZON. A LARGE QUANTITY OF THE CHEMICAL ENTERED THE COCKPIT AND COVERED THE PILOTS FACE AND EYES. THE PILOT LOOKED FOR A PLACE TO LAND BUT DETERMINED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS STILL FLYABLE AND ELECTED TO RETURN TO HIS AIRSTRIP A FEW MILES TO THE NORTH. HE HAD A VERY HARD LANDING DUE TO LACK OF COMPLETE CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND THE CHEMICALS IN HIS EYES.

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 FTW04LA162Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportRush Springs, OKThe pilot's failure to maintain clearance with a utility pole and power lines while maneuvering during an aerial application.Jun 15, 2004 · Substantial damage