- Date
- October 18, 2000, 11:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Littlefield, TX
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N3165GAir Tractor AT-301
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 19, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20001018017169A
- Case key
- 50500
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 with a guy wire while maneuvering during an aerial application flight.
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 agricultural airplane was spraying a cotton field approximately 5 feet about the ground, when the right wing struck a guy wire extending out from a transmission line, which ran along the south edge of the field. This was the pilot's first pass on the field, and he was flying from west to east parallel to the transmission line and perpendicular to the guy wire. The guy wire extended into the cotton field and stabilized a pole. The wire struck about 4 feet in from the right wing tip and tore the end of the wing off. The airplane impacted the ground within 600 feet of the wire strike and a fire erupted.
Factual narrative
On October 18, 2000, at 1130 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-301 agricultural aircraft, N3165G, was destroyed after impacting wires and terrain while maneuvering near Littlefield, Texas. The aircraft was owned and operated by Burkett Flying Service of Sinton, Texas. The commercial pilot, sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight. The local boll weevil eradication flight originated from the Littlefield Municipal Airport at an undetermined time.
According to the FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, the airplane was spraying a cotton field approximately 5 feet about the ground, when the right wing struck a guy wire extending out from a transmission line, which ran along the south edge of the field. This was the pilot's first pass of the field. He was flying from west to east parallel to the transmission line and perpendicular to the guy wire. The guy wire extended into the cotton field and stabilized a pole. The wire struck about 4 feet in from the right wing tip and tore the end of the wing off. The airplane impacted the ground within 600 feet of the wire strike and a fire ensued.
The Lubbock County Medical Examiner's Office performed an autopsy on the pilot. There was no evidence found of any preexisting disease that could have contributed to the accident.
Toxicological tests performed by the FAA's Toxicology and Accident Research Laboratory were negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, alcohol, and drugs.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3165G
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-301
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 301-0546
- Airframe hours
- 3,165
- Engine
- P&W R-1340-AN1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Jim Burkett
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- Q00
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
- 75
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 26,429 total · 1,150 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.