What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 10/24/2023, at approximately 0915 CDT, an Air tractor-502B agriculture airplane was involved in an accident in which the pilot (sole occupant) was fatally injured. The aircraft was conducting 14 CFR 137 operations and was applying the third load of the day, but the first in the field in which the accident occurred.
The main wreckage location was in a heavily wooded area that is a dry-riverbed adjacent to the Mississippi river near Vidalia, LA approximately 1,500 feet south of field that was being sprayed. A portion of a wing was located directly below a high-tension powerline that spans the Mississippi river which was approximately 570 feet southeast of the main wreckage. Another portion of wing was located approximately half-way between the main wreckage and the portion below the powerline. Damage to the powerline could be observed from the ground, and entergy personnel estimated that the damage is 400-450 feet AGL.
According to eyewitnesses interviewed by the concordia parish sheriff’s office, the airplane applied seed in a nearby field and then flew east. The airplane entered a climbing right turn, and collied with the powerline that spanned the Mississippi river. The airplane was then observed to descend into the trees, and potions of the airplane were seen to fall from the sky.
The main wreckage was found to be relatively intact, appeared to impact the ground in a nose down configuration, and the damage to propellor indicated that the engine was developing power. All major flight controls were accounted for. The hopper was destroyed on impact and a substantial amount of seed was present at the site.
As the FAA filed it
ON 10/24/2023, AT APPROXIMATELY 0915 CDT, AN AIR TRACTOR-502B AGRICULTURE AIRPLANE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN WHICH THE PILOT (SOLE OCCUPANT) WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONDUCTING 14 CFR 137 OPERATIONS AND WAS APPLYING THE THIRD LOAD OF THE DAY, BUT THE FIRST IN THE FIELD IN WHICH THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED.
THE MAIN WRECKAGE LOCATION WAS IN A HEAVILY WOODED AREA THAT IS A DRY-RIVERBED ADJACENT TO THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER NEAR VIDALIA, LA APPROXIMATELY 1,500 FEET SOUTH OF FIELD THAT WAS BEING SPRAYED. A PORTION OF A WING WAS LOCATED DIRECTLY BELOW A HIGH-TENSION POWERLINE THAT SPANS THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER WHICH WAS APPROXIMATELY 570 FEET SOUTHEAST OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE. ANOTHER PORTION OF WING WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY HALF-WAY BETWEEN THE MAIN WRECKAGE AND THE PORTION BELOW THE POWERLINE. DAMAGE TO THE POWERLINE COULD BE OBSERVED FROM THE GROUND, AND ENTERGY PERSONNEL ESTIMATED THAT THE DAMAGE IS 400-450 FEET AGL.
ACCORDING TO EYEWITNESSES INTERVIEWED BY THE CONCORDIA PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE, THE AIRPLANE APPLIED SEED IN A NEARBY FIELD AND THEN FLEW EAST. THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A CLIMBING RIGHT TURN, AND COLLIED WITH THE POWERLINE THAT SPANNED THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. THE AIRPLANE WAS THEN OBSERVED TO DESCEND INTO THE TREES, AND POTIONS OF THE AIRPLANE WERE SEEN TO FALL FROM THE SKY.
THE MAIN WRECKAGE WAS FOUND TO BE RELATIVELY INTACT, APPEARED TO IMPACT THE GROUND IN A NOSE DOWN CONFIGURATION, AND THE DAMAGE TO PROPELLOR INDICATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS DEVELOPING POWER. ALL MAJOR FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE ACCOUNTED FOR. THE HOPPER WAS DESTROYED ON IMPACT AND A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF SEED WAS PRESENT AT THE SITE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.