20200727008399A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Air Tractor AT-401 · Burlington, CO · July 27, 2020

Date: July 27, 2020 · 11:08 local
Place: Burlington, CO
Airport: Kit Carson County
Phase of flight: Maneuver
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: NMDG
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N9190Q
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN20CA311
Reported as: Air Tractor AT-401
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,880 total636 in this make and model250 in the last 90 days

N9190QRegistered now · Air Tractor AT-401S/N 401-0925 · Built 1989 Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-401 Engine modelAmateur-built UNKNOWN ENG

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.

Prior to aerial application, PIC stated that he performed several passes over the area to survey waypoints and search for obstacles. PIC noted the tower location but did not confirm locations for all the guy-wires. During aerial application flying a south heading, aircraft struck a guy-wire on the east side of the tower with RH wing tip. This caused the aircraft to veer to a sw heading. He then traveled through a single power line running n/s on the w side of the tower. Aircraft impacted ground causing the landing gear, engine and empennage to separate from the aircraft. The cockpit came to a rest upright and intact and facing towards the east. PIC self-extracted from cockpit and was able to inform his boss of the accident via cell phone. PIC was transported to hospital by ground ambulance for testing and observation and released. No injuries reported other than minor scrapes and bruises.

As the FAA filed it

PRIOR TO AERIAL APPLICATION, PIC STATED THAT HE PERFORMED SEVERAL PASSES OVER THE AREA TO SURVEY WAYPOINTS AND SEARCH FOR OBSTACLES. PIC NOTED THE TOWER LOCATION BUT DID NOT CONFIRM LOCATIONS FOR ALL THE GUY-WIRES. DURING AERIAL APPLICATION FLYING A SOUTH HEADING, AIRCRAFT STRUCK A GUY-WIRE ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE TOWER WITH RH WING TIP. THIS CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO VEER TO A SW HEADING. HE THEN TRAVELED THROUGH A SINGLE POWER LINE RUNNING N/S ON THE W SIDE OF THE TOWER. AIRCRAFT IMPACTED GROUND CAUSING THE LANDING GEAR, ENGINE AND EMPENNAGE TO SEPARATE FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE COCKPIT CAME TO A REST UPRIGHT AND INTACT AND FACING TOWARDS THE EAST. PIC SELF-EXTRACTED FROM COCKPIT AND WAS ABLE TO INFORM HIS BOSS OF THE ACCIDENT VIA CELL PHONE. PIC WAS TRANSPORTED TO HOSPITAL BY GROUND AMBULANCE FOR TESTING AND OBSERVATION AND RELEASED. NO INJURIES REPORTED OTHER THAN MINOR SCRAPES AND BRUISES.

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 CEN20CA311Accident · Minor injuriesClass 4 · Data collectionFinal reportBurlington, COThe pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from guy-wires during low-altitude agricultural operations.Jul 27, 2020 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N9190Q · 1

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

Accident 19950822025429ALow Level Operations · Taft, TXSecond spray run. Looked back check coverage. Right wing struck static wires. Crashed.Aug 22, 1995 · Destroyed