What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 18, 2016 at 0950 CDT, an Air tractor 502B, N4218E, registered to cardinal Air, LLC, struck power lines while conducting aerial application, made contact with a levee collapsing the main landing gear and striking the propeller. The aircraft departed the levee and came to rest in a commercial fish pond. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a VFR flight plan was not filed. The aircraft was substantially damaged, the certificated commercial pilot received no injuries. The flight originated from a private airstrip near Paragould, Arkansas on October 18, 2016 at 0930 CDT.
Causal and/or contributing factors: the commercial rated pilot stated that had completed five spraying swaths of a salt mixture over a rice field when the accident occurred. He stated that the wind condition was light-to-calm when he departed; however, the wind speed increased dramatically as the flight continued. He reported having to increase the radius of his turns because of the increased and gusty wind condition and because of the high aircraft weight. He also stated that there was moderate turbulence due to gusting wind conditions. During one of the turns, the airplane began to shake and the pilot reduced pitch to increase airspeed. The airplane subsequently descended through a power line striking the right wing and crashed into a catfish pond. The pilot did not report any mechanical anomalies or failures with the airplane. The pilot sustained minor injuries (bumps, aches, pains, possible neck strain). He confirmed that he was wearing a helmet and his safety restraints at the time of the accident. He also confirmed that he was wearing contact lenses during the accident flight.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 18, 2016 AT 0950 CDT, AN AIR TRACTOR 502B, N4218E, REGISTERED TO CARDINAL AIR, LLC, STRUCK POWER LINES WHILE CONDUCTING AERIAL APPLICATION, MADE CONTACT WITH A LEVEE COLLAPSING THE MAIN LANDING GEAR AND STRIKING THE PROPELLER. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE LEVEE AND CAME TO REST IN A COMMERCIAL FISH POND. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED, THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT RECEIVED NO INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP NEAR PARAGOULD, ARKANSAS ON OCTOBER 18, 2016 AT 0930 CDT.
CAUSAL AND/OR CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THE COMMERCIAL RATED PILOT STATED THAT HAD COMPLETED FIVE SPRAYING SWATHS OF A SALT MIXTURE OVER A RICE FIELD WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. HE STATED THAT THE WIND CONDITION WAS LIGHT-TO-CALM WHEN HE DEPARTED; HOWEVER, THE WIND SPEED INCREASED DRAMATICALLY AS THE FLIGHT CONTINUED. HE REPORTED HAVING TO INCREASE THE RADIUS OF HIS TURNS BECAUSE OF THE INCREASED AND GUSTY WIND CONDITION AND BECAUSE OF THE HIGH AIRCRAFT WEIGHT. HE ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS MODERATE TURBULENCE DUE TO GUSTING WIND CONDITIONS. DURING ONE OF THE TURNS, THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO SHAKE AND THE PILOT REDUCED PITCH TO INCREASE AIRSPEED. THE AIRPLANE SUBSEQUENTLY DESCENDED THROUGH A POWER LINE STRIKING THE RIGHT WING AND CRASHED INTO A CATFISH POND. THE PILOT DID NOT REPORT ANY MECHANICAL ANOMALIES OR FAILURES WITH THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES (BUMPS, ACHES, PAINS, POSSIBLE NECK STRAIN). HE CONFIRMED THAT HE WAS WEARING A HELMET AND HIS SAFETY RESTRAINTS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. HE ALSO CONFIRMED THAT HE WAS WEARING CONTACT LENSES DURING THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.