- Date
- May 14, 2009, 14:20 local (19:20 UTC)
- Place
- Monroe, LA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N223SBAyres S-2R
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090514006719I
- Case key
- 73834
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the power transmission lines during an aerial application run.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot was performing an aerial application flight in a field that had a set of power lines located in it. During the last pass of the application run, the airplane collided with the power lines and subsequently impacted terrain, coming to rest on a set of railroad tracks.
Factual narrative
On May 14, 2009, approximately 1420 central daylight time, an Ayres S-2R single-engine agricultural airplane, N223SB, was substantially damaged when it collided with power lines and impacted terrain during an aerial application flight near Monroe, Louisiana. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant, received serious injuries. The airplane was registered to and operated by Brooks Flying Service Inc., Calhoun, Louisiana. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight. In a written statement to the NTSB, the pilot stated that he was performing an aerial application flight and during the last pass struck a set of power lines. Subsequently, the airplane impacted terrain and came to rest on a set of railroad tracks.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N223SB
- Reported as
- Ayres S-2R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- T45-014DC
- Airframe hours
- 9,005
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney PT6, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Brooks Flying Service Inc
- Registered owner
- Brooks Flying Service Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 13, 2009
- Departed
- Monroe, LA
- Destination
- Monroe, LA
- Flight plan
- Unknown
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 64
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 2, 2009
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 24,300 total · 12,500 in this make and model · 22,800 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 7, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 945 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.