# NTSB CEN20CA311: Air Tractor AT 401, N9190Q, Burlington, CO, July 27, 2020 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Data collection · Final report - Date: July 27, 2020, 11:08 local (17:08 UTC) - Place: Burlington, CO - Coordinates: 39.2994, -102.2708 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.2994&lon=-102.2708&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/220) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 1 minor - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 101682 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN20CA311 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/101682/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101682 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20CA311 ## Probable cause The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from guy-wires during low-altitude agricultural operations. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Attention/monitoring: monitoring environment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021545): Personnel issues › Psychological · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Air Tractor AT-401, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021545/cases.md?model=0390204), [All aircraft, 809 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021545/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: altitude](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062012): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Attain/maintain not possible; cases with it: [Air Tractor AT-401, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062012/cases.md?model=0390204), [All aircraft, 1,310 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062012/cases.md) - [Object/animal/substance: wire](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022032): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Awareness of condition (probable cause); cases with it: [Air Tractor AT-401, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022032/cases.md?model=0390204), [All aircraft, 588 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022032/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/220) (defining event); cases with it: [Air Tractor AT-401, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/220/sequence.md?model=0390204), [All aircraft, 780 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/220/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot flew the agricultural airplane to the designated spray area. He made 3-4 passes on a corn field and surveyed the area for guy-wires (a tower was adjacent to the field). He flew multiple passes around the tower to look for guy-wires but he was not able to get an exact location on the tower’s guy-wires and started spraying the field from south to north, and then west to east. After spraying about 4 passes in the middle of the field and 3 passes on the west end of the field the airplane struck a guy-wire with the right wing. After the airplane hit the wire, the pilot had trouble maintaining altitude. The airplane collided through a single set of power lines and struck the ground, resulting in substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N9190Q](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9190Q), registered now, S/N 401-0925, built 1989 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Air Tractor AT 401 (Undesignat) - Registry model: [Air Tractor AT-401](https://openairdocs.org/model/air-tractor-at-401) (registry code 0390204) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG](https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (registry code 99999) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 401-0925 - Year built: 1989 - Airframe hours: 4014 - Engines: P&W 1340 650 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Aerial application, Part 137 - Operator: Air Care Inc - Registered owner: Miller Tom O - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Restricted (Special) - Last inspection: Annual, January 10, 2020 - Departed: ITR, Burlington, CO - Flight plan: Company VFR - Airport: Burlington ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 28; injuries: minor; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 2, without waivers/limitations; last flight review March 7, 2019; seat: center; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 1,880 total, 636 in this make and model, 250 in the last 90 days, 75 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 70° at 14 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 1,900 ft broken - Temperature: 72 °F, dew point 66 °F - Altimeter: 28.00 inHg - Observed at: ITR, 14 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20200727008399A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200727008399A), Jul 27, 2020: Air Tractor Inc AT-401, Burlington, CO, Destroyed. Prior to aerial application, PIC stated that he performed several passes over the area to survey waypoints and search for obstacles. PIC noted the tower… ## Other investigations on N9190Q (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB FTW95LA358](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW95LA358), Aug 22, 1995: Air Tractor AT-401 (N9190Q), Taft, TX, destroyed. Probable cause: THE PILOT'S DIVERTED ATTENTION, WHICH RESULTED IN HIS FAILURE TO ASSURE THAT CLEARANCE WAS MAINTAINED FROM THE TRANSMISSION LINE. ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 29, 2021, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101682. 1.0 MB in all. - Memorandum for the record pilot statement summary CEN20CA311 (item 1, PDF, 1 page, 126 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11758330&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Memorandum%20for%20the%20Record%20Pilot%20Statement%20Summary%20CEN20CA311_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Photo array CEN20CA311 (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 911 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11759121&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Array%20CEN20CA311-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.