- Date
- July 28, 2010, 17:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Zwingle, IA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N6030UAir Tractor AT-502B
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA - Des Moines, FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100728041519A
- Case key
- 76800
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 wires during the agricultural flight.
Findings · 3
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 reported that he was conducting agricutural spraying operations in the airplane when the accident occurred. He stated that he had completed a spray pass and made a turn for another pass. As he came out of the turn the airplane was heading west into the afternoon sun. The pilot stated that he misjudged the height of the top wire of poles along the edge of the field. After striking the wire he noted that he had almost no elevator control and executed a landing in a field. The airplane subsequently nosed over. The pilot made no mention of control difficulties prior to striking the wire.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that after an agricultural spraying run that he had completed, he made a turn for another pass. As he came out of that turn, the airplane was heading west into the afternoon sun. The pilot misjudged the height of the top wire of poles along the edge of the field. After striking the wire he noted that he had almost no elevator control and executed a landing in a field. The airplane subsequently nosed over. The pilot made no mention of control difficulties prior to striking the wire.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6030U
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-502B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 502B-0323
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A Series, 500 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Klinkenborg Aerial Spraying & Seeding Inc
- Registered owner
- Klinkenborg Aerial Spraying & Seeding Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- Zwingle, IA
- Destination
- Zwingle, IA
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
- 22
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 20, 2009
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 1,900 total · 330 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- DBQ, 10 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 8, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 29 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.