- Date
- September 4, 1995, 19:15 local (Sep 5, 1995, 00:15 UTC)
- Place
- Loop, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4998XRockwell S-2R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 27, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950904027959A
- Case key
- 19571
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 the power line. A factor was the sun glare light conditions.
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 pilot was monitoring the on board sat-loc (global positioning system) while flying westbound towards the setting sun. The pilot banked to the right to avoid a small sign in the field he was spraying when the left wing impacted a 115,000 volt power line. Control was lost and the airplane came to rest in a cotton field.
Factual narrative
On September 4, 1995, at 1915 central daylight time, a Rockwell International S-2R, N4998X, was substantially damaged upon impact with a power line while maneuvering near Loop, Texas. The commercial pilot was not injured. The aircraft was being operated on an aerial application flight by Loop Spraying Service Inc., under Title 14 CFR Part 137 when the accident occurred. The flight originated at Seagraves, Texas, at approximately 1800 CDT. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident for which no flight plan was filed.
The pilot stated to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that he had been spraying since early in the morning, and was near the end of his task for the day. The pilot further stated that he was monitoring the on-board SAT-LOC while flying westbound towards the setting sun, when he got a glance of a small warning sign in the field. The pilot added that he banked the airplane to the right to provide additional clearance, when the left wing impacted the 115,000 volt power distribution line.
Control was lost and the airplane came to rest in a cotton field in the inverted position.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4998X
- Reported as
- Rockwell S-2R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2127R
- Engine
- Garrett TPE331-1, 675 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Loop Spraying Service, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 15, 1994 · 300 hours before
- Departed
- F97 · Seagraves, TX
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 3,500 total · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 31.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.