- Date
- July 27, 2020, 08:10 local (12:10 UTC)
- Place
- Tiro, OH
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N602FHAir Tractor AT 602
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards
- FAA report
- 20200727011459A
- Case key
- 101683
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 while attempting to fly under power lines 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 was conducting an aerial application flight at the time of the accident. Before spraying, he circled the field and noted high tension power lines. He completed 3 spray runs without incident, passing under the power lines on 2 of those passes. However, on the 4th pass, the pilot "did not maintain a low enough altitude" and the vertical stabilizer struck the lines. The upper portion of the vertical stabilizer and the entire rudder separated from the airframe. He was able to maintain control with a "total loss of rudder control" and executed a forced landing to a harvested wheat field.
Factual narrative
The pilot was conducting an aerial application flight at the time of the accident. Before spraying, he circled the field and noted high tension power lines. He completed 3 spray runs without incident, passing under the power lines on 2 of those passes. However, on the 4th pass, the pilot "did not maintain a low enough altitude" and the vertical stabilizer struck the lines. The upper portion of the vertical stabilizer and the entire rudder separated from the airframe. He was able to maintain control with a "total loss of rudder control" and executed a forced landing to a harvested wheat field.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N602FH
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT 602 (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 602-1162
- Built
- 2008
- Airframe hours
- 3,108
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-60AG, 1,050 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Fisher Spray Service LLC
- Registered owner
- Fisher Spray Service LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 11, 2020 · 151 hours before
- Departed
- 17G · Bucyrus, OH
- Destination
- 17G · Bucyrus, OH
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Handheld GPS, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 17, 2019
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 11,997 total · 1,378 in this make and model · 10,310 as pilot in command · 151 in the last 90 days · 75 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 11 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- MFD, 14 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 9, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.4 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.