OpenAirDocs.org

20130719012309A

Accident · Destroyed
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Air Tractor AT-400 · Steward, IL · July 19, 2013

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
July 19, 2013 · 08:07 local
Place
Steward, IL
Phase of flight
Other, Specify
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
W3GG
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N155HF
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN13LA425
Reported as
Air Tractor AT-400
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
8,647 total1,450 in this make and model120 in the last 90 days
N155HFRegistration cancelled Sep 14, 2015 · Air Tractor AT-400S/N AT400-0488Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-400

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.

Aircraft crashed in corn field at approximately 08:07 CDT on July 19, 2013. According to state police first responder, jordan jackson, office: privacy data omitted, pilot stated he departed C73 (dixon) at approximately 07:30 a.m. and sprayed 145 acres in the vicinity of dixon, IL. Pilot then flew to accident site to conduct application of 150 acres. Pilot stated to trooper that he was informed by woodley aerial leasing, LLC that there were tall towers near the application site. Pilot also informed trooper he did one survey pass before beginning application.

Pilot flew from west to east to begin his second swath. Pilot stated aircraft altitude was 50 AGL, and aircraft speed was 140 KTS. Pilot then stated he saw a guy wire directly in his windscreen. Aircraft appears to have hit the wire straight-on.

Aircraft crashed in corn field just east of the guy wires and towers. Aircraft destroyed. Post crash fire did occur. Pilot evacuated aircraft under his own power and received a couple of broken ribs and cuts to both his legs. Pilot received medical attention at rockford memorial hospital. privacy data omitted No persons were injured on the ground. However, two antenna towers were completely destroyed, as they collapsed after impact of guy wire/s. two buildings also received minor damage from the falling towers. Minor damage to corn crops.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN CORN FIELD AT APPROXIMATELY 08:07 CDT ON JULY 19, 2013. ACCORDING TO STATE POLICE FIRST RESPONDER, JORDAN JACKSON, OFFICE: ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, PILOT STATED HE DEPARTED C73 (DIXON) AT APPROXIMATELY 07:30 A.M. AND SPRAYED 145 ACRES IN THE VICINITY OF DIXON, IL. PILOT THEN FLEW TO ACCIDENT SITE TO CONDUCT APPLICATION OF 150 ACRES. PILOT STATED TO TROOPER THAT HE WAS INFORMED BY WOODLEY AERIAL LEASING, LLC THAT THERE WERE TALL TOWERS NEAR THE APPLICATION SITE. PILOT ALSO INFORMED TROOPER HE DID ONE SURVEY PASS BEFORE BEGINNING APPLICATION.

PILOT FLEW FROM WEST TO EAST TO BEGIN HIS SECOND SWATH. PILOT STATED AIRCRAFT ALTITUDE WAS 50 AGL, AND AIRCRAFT SPEED WAS 140 KTS. PILOT THEN STATED HE SAW A GUY WIRE DIRECTLY IN HIS WINDSCREEN. AIRCRAFT APPEARS TO HAVE HIT THE WIRE STRAIGHT-ON.

AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN CORN FIELD JUST EAST OF THE GUY WIRES AND TOWERS. AIRCRAFT DESTROYED. POST CRASH FIRE DID OCCUR. PILOT EVACUATED AIRCRAFT UNDER HIS OWN POWER AND RECEIVED A COUPLE OF BROKEN RIBS AND CUTS TO BOTH HIS LEGS. PILOT RECEIVED MEDICAL ATTENTION AT ROCKFORD MEMORIAL HOSPITAL. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ NO PERSONS WERE INJURED ON THE GROUND. HOWEVER, TWO ANTENNA TOWERS WERE COMPLETELY DESTROYED, AS THEY COLLAPSED AFTER IMPACT OF GUY WIRE/S. TWO BUILDINGS ALSO RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE FROM THE FALLING TOWERS. MINOR DAMAGE TO CORN CROPS.

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 CEN13LA425Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSteward, ILThe pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the guy wires during an aerial application maneuver. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to identify potential obstructions in the area before beginning low-altitude maneuvers.Jul 19, 2013 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N155HF · 1

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

Accident 20021002031339AMarmaduke, AR(-23) On October 2, 2002, at 1937Z, an air tractor AT-400, N155HF, while conducting aerial application of malathion on two cotton fields pulled up and over a power line to descend into the second field to continue the swath run, however the aircraft descended…Oct 2, 2002 · Substantial damage