20110808017349A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Air Tractor AT-602 · Wilcox, AZ · August 8, 2011

Date: August 8, 2011 · 05:02 local
Place: Wilcox, AZ
Phase of flight: Other, Specify
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: G7GG
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N5123L
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR11LA375
Reported as: Air Tractor AT-602
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-66 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 16,000 total500 in this make and model300 in the last 90 days

N5123LRegistration cancelled Mar 10, 2014 · Air Tractor AT-602S/N 6020407 · Built 1997 Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-602 Engine modelPratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-66 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.

Pilot was conducting agricultural spraying operations on a field near the crash site and collided with a known fixed 80 foot tower. Pilot said he was notified of the tower on August 2nd; however he forgot that it was there. Pilot said the propeller hub struck the tower which caused an engine fire and smoke. Pilot said his windscreen was shattered after the collision. Pilot said he made an emergency landing in the desert. During the emergency landing the right main struck a small hill causing it to collapse. The right wing near the tip was also damaged. Propeller was damaged from the initial impact with the tower.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT WAS CONDUCTING AGRICULTURAL SPRAYING OPERATIONS ON A FIELD NEAR THE CRASH SITE AND COLLIDED WITH A KNOWN FIXED 80 FOOT TOWER. PILOT SAID HE WAS NOTIFIED OF THE TOWER ON AUGUST 2ND; HOWEVER HE FORGOT THAT IT WAS THERE.PILOT SAID THE PROPELLER HUB STRUCK THE TOWER WHICH CAUSED AN ENGINE FIRE AND SMOKE. PILOT SAID HIS WINDSCREEN WAS SHATTERED AFTER THE COLLISION. PILOT SAID HE MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN THE DESERT. DURING THE EMERGENCY LANDING THE RIGHT MAIN STRUCK A SMALL HILL CAUSING IT TO COLLAPSE. THE RIGHT WING NEAR THE TIP WAS ALSO DAMAGED.PROPELLER WAS DAMAGED FROM THE INITIAL IMPACT WITH THE TOWER.

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 WPR11LA375Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportWillcox, AZThe pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a tower while maneuvering at low altitude. Contributing to the accident was the recent installation of the unmarked tower.Aug 8, 2011 · Substantial damage