CEN23LA324

Airplane position data revealed that the pilot was performing agricultural application passes to a corn field at the time of the accident. During an approach to the northwest, in a pattern consistent with a clean-up pass, the empennage impacted the lowest transmission line on a set of power lines along the perimeter of the field. The collision separated the rudder and upper portion of the vertical stabilizer from the empennage, and the airplane subsequently impacted the corn field about 350 ft from the power lines. Postrecovery airframe and engine examinations did not reveal any anomalies consistent with a preimpact failure or malfunction, or of the engine to produce rated power. It is likely that the pilot was flying under the transmission lines at the end of the clean-up pass and did not maintain clearance which resulted in an impact between the empennage and the transmission line.

On July 25, 2023, about 0711 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-402B airplane, N291DL, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Clara City, Minnesota. The pilot initially survived the accident but later died from his injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 agricultural application flight. According to GPS position data recovered from an onboard tracking device, the pilot departed from a private airstrip about 0619. He flew about 3 miles north and completed multiple application passes to a corn field in an east-west pattern. The pilot then made a pass from north to south on the western side of the field near structures, consistent with a clean-up pass. The airplane then made a left turn back toward the field. The final data point was recorded at 0711. At that time, the airplane was about 0.5 mile south of the field, at an altitude of 1,323 ft mean sea level (msl). The accident site was northwest of the last recorded data point, at an elevation of about 1,060 ft msl. The airplane came to rest upright on a northwest heading, about 350 ft north of a set of power lines. The upper portion of the vertical stabilizer and the rudder were separated from the airplane and located in the vicinity of the power lines. The pilot’s last aviation medical examination was August 26, 2022. At that time, he reported no medical conditions or medication use. He was issued a first-class medical certificate without limitation. After the accident, the pilot received medical care for multiple injuries sustained in the accident. He later died in the hospital as a result of complications from his blunt force injuries. According to the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office Final Summary report, the pilot’s cause of death was complications of blunt force injuries, and his manner of death was accident. At the discretion of the medical examiner’s office, no autopsy was performed. No significant preaccident medical condition was identified during the pilot’s hospitalization. Hospital records indicated the pilot had a prescription for a medication containing oxycodone; this was for 12 tablets in February 2023. A hospital blood screen for ethanol was negative. A hospital drug screen performed on urine collected two days after the accident detected only oxycodone and opiates, which could be attributed to medications that had been administered to the pilot during his postaccident medical care, as verified from hospital medication administration records. FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory testing of an antemortem serum specimen labeled with the accident date did not detect oxycodone or other opiates. The set of power lines was oriented east-west along the south side of a road. The set consisted of three transmission lines and one static line. The airplane struck the lower of the three lines and appeared to have severed each of the conductors. The supporting power line core remained intact. The airplane sustaineddamage to the fuselage, engine mount, both wings, and the vertical stabilizer. The rudder was separated and exhibited a torn gouge extending from the leading edge to about mid-chord, consistent with impact to a power line. Examination of the airframe did not reveal any indication of a preimpact structural failure or flight control system anomaly. An engine examination revealed contact signatures to the internal components consistent with an engine operating at the time of impact. No indication of any preimpact mechanical engine anomalies were observed.