20040731017799A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Airtrc AT-400 · Clayton, LA · July 31, 2004

Date: July 31, 2004 · 08:50 local
Place: Clayton, LA
Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: G9FG
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N3159W
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW04LA201
Reported as: Airtrc AT400
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A20
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,972 total390 in this make and model250 in the last 90 days

N3159WRegistration cancelled Apr 21, 2006 · Air Tractor AT-400S/N 400-0474 · Built 1973 Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-400 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) On July 31, 2004, at 0850 CDT, an air tractor AT-400 agricultural airplane, N3159W, owned and operated by goodman's flying service of chase, LA, was destroyed following an in-flight collision with powerlines near Clayton, LA. The pilot stated that he had flown under the same set of powerlines 6 or 7 times that am, however, during the last, he felt the aircraft balloon and the tail came up. The aircraft then collided with the wire and lost control of the aircraft. The left wing tip separated from the aircraft after making contact with the ground, the nose dug in and the aircraft came to rest inverted. The 130 gallons of chemicals were dumped prior to ground impact. The remaining chemicals and the 90 gallons of turbine fuel caught fire and burned 90% of the aircraft. The pilot, even though inverted, was able to escape with minor chemical contamination. The pilot was counseled by poi clyde o'neill on considering other methods of spraying near powerlines.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON JULY 31, 2004, AT 0850 CDT, AN AIR TRACTOR AT-400 AGRICULTURAL AIRPLANE, N3159W, OWNED AND OPERATED BY GOODMAN'S FLYING SERVICE OF CHASE, LA, WAS DESTROYED FOLLOWING AN IN-FLIGHT COLLISION WITH POWERLINES NEAR CLAYTON, LA. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD FLOWN UNDER THE SAME SET OF POWERLINES 6 OR 7 TIMES THAT AM, HOWEVER, DURING THE LAST, HE FELT THE AIRCRAFT BALLOON AND THE TAIL CAME UP. THE AIRCRAFT THEN COLLIDED WITH THE WIRE AND LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE LEFT WING TIP SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AFTER MAKING CONTACT WITH THE GROUND, THE NOSE DUG IN AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST INVERTED. THE 130 GALLONS OF CHEMICALS WERE DUMPED PRIOR TO GROUND IMPACT. THE REMAINING CHEMICALS AND THE 90 GALLONS OF TURBINE FUEL CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED 90% OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT, EVEN THOUGH INVERTED, WAS ABLE TO ESCAPE WITH MINOR CHEMICAL CONTAMINATION. THE PILOT WAS COUNSELED BY POI CLYDE O'NEILL ON CONSIDERING OTHER METHODS OF SPRAYING NEAR POWERLINES.

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 FTW04LA201Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportClayton, LAThe pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the high tension power lines.Jul 31, 2004 · Destroyed

Other reports on N3159W · 3

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19900715036689IRoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Blaine, MSLost directional control on rollout. Found right brake was inoperative.Jul 15, 1990 · Minor damage Accident 19890602049069ALow Level Operations · Poplar Bluff, MOTail assembly struck wires while pilot was flying under them. Uncontrollable aircraft collided with the ground.Jun 2, 1989 · Substantial damage Incident 19890428018959ITo Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) · Poplar Bluff, MOTruck drove on runway while aircraft on takeoff. Pilot pulled up abruptly missed truck but flew through wires.Apr 28, 1989 · Minor damage