- Date
- June 30, 1997, 09:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Edna, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4396SAir Tractor AT-301
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 26, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970630016339A
- Case key
- 20260
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
failure of the pilot to maintain clearance from a guy wire, during a swath run.
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
According to the pilot, he finished spraying a 110 acre milo field with 'no problems.' The pilot reported that he was 'on the last pass which was along some highlines when the airplane's left wing struck a guy wire cutting off the outer 4 feet of the left wing.' He said that the airplane rolled left and struck the ground, coming to rest on the gear 'right side up.'
Factual narrative
On June 30, 1997, at 0930 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-301 agricultural airplane, N4396S, was substantially damaged when it struck a guy wire and subsequently impacted the ground while maneuvering near Edna, Texas. The commercial pilot, sole occupant in the airplane, was not injured. The airplane was registered to a private individual and operated by the White Flying Service of La Ward, Texas, under Title 14 CFR Part 137. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the aerial application flight which had originated approximately 35 minutes before the accident. No flight plan had been filed for the flight.
According to the pilot, he was finishing spraying a 110 acre milo field with "no problems." The pilot reported that he was "on the last pass which was along some high lines when the airplane's left wing struck a guy wire cutting off the outer 4 feet of the left wing." He said that the airplane rolled left and struck the ground coming to rest on the gear "right side up."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4396S
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-301
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 300-0056
- Engine
- P&W R-1340AN-1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Donald R. White
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 13, 1997
- Departed
- NONE · 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
- 24
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 1,272 total · 301 in this make and model · 1,164 as pilot in command · 227 in the last 90 days · 89 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- VCT, 28 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.