- Date
- August 13, 2014, 13:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Cimarron, KS
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9071ZAir Tractor AT 401B
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 2, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards
- FAA report
- 20140813019219A
- Case key
- 89873
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 antenna guy wire during an aerial application pass.
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 setting up to spray a corn field bordered by radio antennas. He had sprayed the field previously and planned to use the same pattern this time. However, on his initial pass, he focused on the inner guy wire anchor point, which caused him to inadvertently fly between the inner and outer guy wires. When he started to pull-up, the airplane struck the outer wire, separating 7 feet of the left wing from the airplane. The pilot was able to maintain control and ultimately returned to the departure airport. However, the airplane rolled to the left when he reduced power on landing and he lost control at that time. The pilot stated that there were no problems with the airplane prior to the accident; the engine and flight controls were performing normally before the impact with the guy wire.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was setting up to spray a corn field bordered by radio antennas. He had sprayed the field previously and planned to use the same pattern this time. However, on his initial pass, he focused on the inner guy wire anchor point, which caused him to inadvertently fly between the inner and outer guy wires. When he started to pull-up, the airplane struck the outer wire, separating 7 feet of the left wing from the airplane. The pilot was able to maintain control and ultimately returned to the departure airport. However, the airplane rolled to the left when he reduced power on landing and he lost control at that time. The pilot stated that there were no problems with the airplane prior to the accident; the engine and flight controls were performing normally before the impact with the guy wire.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9071Z
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT 401B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 401B-1131
- Built
- 2001
- Airframe hours
- 3,373
- Engine
- Walter M601-E11, 750 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Erhart Aerial Spraying
- Registered owner
- Erhart Aerial Spraying
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 7, 2014 · 264 hours before
- Departed
- DDC · Dodge City, KS
- Destination
- DDC · Dodge City, KS
- Airport
- DDC · Dodge City Regional, runway 14, 6,899 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 61
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 17, 2014
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 15,300 total · 3,500 in this make and model · 15,216 as pilot in command · 200 in the last 90 days · 120 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- DDC, 1 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 21, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.6 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.