- Date
- September 14, 2002, 13:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Altus, OK
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N23736Air Tractor AT-301
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 30, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration (FSDO)
- FAA report
- 20020914023939A
- Case key
- 55692
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 electrical wires 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 pilot was spraying malathion to a field and was attempting to fly the airplane between electrical wires when the vertical stabilizer contacted the electrical wires. A section of the vertical stabilizer and rudder separated from the airplane. During the ensuing forced landing to a wheat field the airplane cartwheeled and came to rest inverted.
Factual narrative
On September 14, 2002, at 1300 central daylight time an Air Tractor AT-301 agricultural airplane, N23736, was substantially damaged when it collided with a power line while maneuvering near Altus, Oklahoma. The airplane was registered to and operated by Jackson County Spraying Service, Inc., of Altus, Oklahoma. The commercial pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, sustained minor 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 flight originated at 0700 from the Olustee Municipal Airport, Altus, Oklahoma.
According to the pilot, he was spraying malathion to a field and was attempting to fly between electrical wires when the vertical stabilizer contacted electrical wires. A section of the vertical stabilizer and rudder separated from the airplane. During the ensuing forced landing to a wheat field the airplane cartwheeled and came to rest inverted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N23736
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-301
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 301-0427
- Airframe hours
- 6,200
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney 1340, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Jackson County Spraying Service, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 2, 2002 · 400 hours before
- Departed
- F09 · Olustee, OK
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
- 52
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 14,000 total · 11,000 in this make and model · 13,900 as pilot in command · 225 in the last 90 days · 125 in the last 30 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- HBR, 25 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.