- Date
- July 2, 2001, 09:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Ellinwood, KS
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4549EAir Tractor AT-401
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 23, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20010702018889A
- Case key
- 52613
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 failed to see and avoid the guy wire during an aerial application flight. A factor associated with the accident was the guy wire.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane contacted a guy wire and collided with the terrain during an aerial application flight. The pilot reported he saw the poles during the aerial application flight. He reported he knew that there would be wires in the area so he swung out wide during a turn to look for the wires. The right wing contacted a guy wire during the turn. The airplane then settled into the sunflower crop.
Factual narrative
On July 2, 2001, at 0930 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-401, N4549E, contacted a guy wire and collided with the terrain during an aerial application flight in Ellinwood, Kansas. The commercial pilot flying the airplane was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The 14 CFR Part 137 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The pilot reported he departed the Ellinwood Municipal Airport at approximately 0900 central daylight time.
The pilot reported he saw the poles during the aerial application flight. He reported he knew that there would be wires in the area so he swung out wide during a turn to look for the wires. The right wing contacted a guy wire during the turn. The airplane then settled into the sunflower crop.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4549E
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-401
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 401-0765
- Airframe hours
- 3,138
- Engine
- P&W R-1340-AN-1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Ellinwood Flying Services, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 15, 2001 · 150 hours before
- Departed
- 1K6 · Ellinwood, KS
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
- 38
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- March 27, 2001
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 2,553 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 2,454 as pilot in command · 180 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 11 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- GBD, 10 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.
Other investigations on N4549E · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.