- Date
- August 7, 2012, 12:20 local (17:20 UTC)
- Place
- Newkirk, OK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5596XThrush S-2R
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 26, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Oklahoma City FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120807017609A
- Case key
- 84618
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 power lines.
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
During an aerial application flight over a river, the pilot was spreading seed when the airplane struck and severed all four wires of an electrical transmission power line. During the forced landing, the airplane impacted tall vegetation. The fuselage, empennage, and both wings were substantially damaged. According to the pilot and photographs of the area, neither the transmission wires nor the poles were visible above the tree line adjacent to the river banks. The pilot stated that he had been warned about the transmission lines that extended over the river and should have located them before the application portion of the flight began.
Factual narrative
During an aerial application flight over a river, the pilot was spreading seed when the airplane struck and severed all four wires of an electrical transmission power line. During the forced landing, the airplane impacted tall vegetation. The fuselage, empennage, and both wings were substantially damaged. According to the pilot and photographs of the area, neither the transmission wires nor the poles were visible above the tree line, adjacent to the river banks. The pilot stated that he had been warned about the transmission lines that extended over the river and should have located them before the application portion of the flight began.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5596X
- Reported as
- Thrush S-2R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5095R
- Airframe hours
- 10,141
- Engine
- Walter M601E-11, 751 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Bluestem Aerial Sprayers LLC
- Registered owner
- Skyler Blue LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 9, 2012
- Departed
- Newkirk, OK
- Destination
- OK48 · Newkirk, OK
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
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 11, 2011
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 4,613 total · 1,586 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 97 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- KPNC, 14 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 20, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.2 MB 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.
Other investigations on N5596X · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.