- Date
- October 24, 2011, 12:10 local (16:10 UTC)
- Place
- McAlpin, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N3169CAir Tractor AT-301
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 27, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20111024024279A
- Case key
- 82186
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 misjudgment of the airplane's distance from known transmission lines.
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
According to the pilot, he had successfully completed six aerial application passes below transmission lines that ran diagonally above a rectangular agricultural field. The pilot had also successfully completed 11 or 12 similar application flights over the same field during previous years, including 1 earlier that month. As the pilot turned the airplane toward its seventh pass, sun position and spray residue on the windshield resulted in his briefly losing sight of the transmission lines. The pilot regained sight of the transmission lines and continued the pass; however, the airplane struck the lines, damaging the wing spar. The pilot did not report any preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he had successfully completed six aerial application passes below transmission lines that ran diagonally above a rectangular agricultural field. The pilot had also successfully completed 11 or 12 similar application flights over the same field during previous years, including 1 earlier that month. As the pilot turned the airplane toward its seventh pass, sun position and windshield spray residue resulted in his briefly losing sight of the transmission lines. The pilot subsequently regained sight of the transmission lines and continued the pass; however, the airplane struck the lines, damaging the wing spar, before returning to the originating airport. The pilot did not report any preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3169C
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-301
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 301-0568
- Engine
- P&W R1340 SERIES, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Terrys Ag Service Inc
- Registered owner
- Terrys Ag Service Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 15, 2011
- Departed
- 0FL1 · Branford, FL
- Destination
- 0FL1 · Branford, FL
- Airport
- None
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
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 26, 2011
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 17,000 total · 14,000 in this make and model · 17,000 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 70 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 3 knots
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- 40J, 28 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 25, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 373 KB 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.