- Date
- August 14, 2003, 17:05 local (22:05 UTC)
- Place
- Aplington, IA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4339SAir Tractor AT-301
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 2, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Des Moines, Iowa
- FAA report
- 20030814020789A
- Case key
- 57707
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 not maintaining proper altitude/clearance from the wire during the aerial application flight. The factor to the accident was the power line.
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 impacted power lines and terrain during an aerial application flight. The pilot reported that subsequent to impacting power lines the airplane lost pitch control. The pilot stated the airplane "impacted the ground in a very nose-down attitude completely destroying the aircraft."
Factual narrative
On August 14, 2003, about 1705 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-301, N4339S, piloted by a commercial pilot, sustained substantial damage when it struck a powerline while maneuvering near Aplington, Iowa. The airplane subsequently impacted the ground. The 14 CFR Part 137 aerial application flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The pilot received serious injuries. The flight departed Ackley Municipal Airport (4C7), Ackley, Iowa, at 1630.
According to the pilot's written statement, he departed 4C7 with fuel and 260 gallons of chemical mix. The pilot reported that the airplane impacted power lines while maneuvering for a headland application pass, subsequent to completing a chemical application to a soybean field. The pilot stated that the airplane's impact with the power lines resulted in a loss of pitch control. The pilot reported the airplane "impacted the ground in a very nose-down attitude completely destroying the aircraft."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4339S
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-301
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 301-0019
- Airframe hours
- 7,500
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney R1340-ANI, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Ronald L. Cook
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 2002 · 160 hours before
- Departed
- 4C7 · Ackley, IA
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
- 59
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- October 10, 2002
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 6,411 total · 2,163 in this make and model · 6,215 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.29 inHg
- Observed at
- ALO
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.