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20040702014559A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Airtrc AT-402A · Hillsboro, AL · July 2, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 2, 2004 · 19:50 local
Place
Hillsboro, AL
Phase of flight
Low Level Operations
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
RYLG
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N9089L
NTSB investigation
NTSBATL04CA146
Reported as
Airtrc AT402A
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney PT6A15AG
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
3,150 total100 in this make and model102 in the last 90 days
N9089LRegistration cancelled Jul 6, 2006 · Air Tractor AT-402AS/N 402A-1118 · Built 2000Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-402AEngine modelPratt & Whitney PT6A 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) On Friday July 2, 2004, at approximately 7:50 pm, an air tractor N9089L, flown by michael e. jones jr., was enroute back to the home airstrip in the loal area. The pilot stated that he was heading in a northwest direction on the northern side of alt. Hwy 72/20 around the Hillsboro area spotting fields for the next trip to be done in the following days. Flying above the trees, he looked down for a very short time to spot a particular field, and when he spotted the field he looked up and saw the ground cables for high power lines and structures immediately in front of him. The pilot stated that he did not see the cables before looking down. The airplane hit the ground cable with the right wing, tearing off the wing tip and sending him in a spin. The airplane then went straight down to the ground, and the pilot states that he thought maybe the wing touched the ground first, causing the nose to touch next with the propeller striking the ground and digging in, forcing the airplane to flip over on its top and then sliding approximately 75 feet before coming to a complete stop. The pilot then exited the aircraft with minor injuries. The airplane was destroyed.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON FRIDAY JULY 2, 2004, AT APPROXIMATELY 7:50 PM, AN AIR TRACTOR N9089L, FLOWN BY MICHAEL E. JONES JR., WAS ENROUTE BACK TO THE HOME AIRSTRIP IN THE LOAL AREA. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS HEADING IN A NORTHWEST DIRECTION ON THE NORTHERN SIDE OF ALT. HWY 72/20 AROUND THE HILLSBORO AREA SPOTTING FIELDS FOR THE NEXT TRIP TO BE DONE IN THE FOLLOWING DAYS. FLYING ABOVE THE TREES, HE LOOKED DOWN FOR A VERY SHORT TIME TO SPOT A PARTICULAR FIELD, AND WHEN HE SPOTTED THE FIELD HE LOOKED UP AND SAW THE GROUND CABLES FOR HIGH POWER LINES AND STRUCTURES IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF HIM. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOT SEE THE CABLES BEFORE LOOKING DOWN. THE AIRPLANE HIT THE GROUND CABLE WITH THE RIGHT WING, TEARING OFF THE WING TIP AND SENDING HIM IN A SPIN. THE AIRPLANE THEN WENT STRAIGHT DOWN TO THE GROUND, AND THE PILOT STATES THAT HE THOUGHT MAYBE THE WING TOUCHED THE GROUND FIRST, CAUSING THE NOSE TO TOUCH NEXT WITH THE PROPELLER STRIKING THE GROUND AND DIGGING IN, FORCING THE AIRPLANE TO FLIP OVER ON ITS TOP AND THEN SLIDING APPROXIMATELY 75 FEET BEFORE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE PILOT THEN EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITH MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED.

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 ATL04CA146Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal reportHillsboro, ALThe pilot's inadequate visual lookout and failure to maintain adequate obstacle clearance, which resulted in collision with transmission wires.Jul 3, 2004 · Substantial damage