- Date
- July 9, 2015, 07:45 local (13:45 UTC)
- Place
- Hatch, NM
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N2034PWeatherly 620B
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 11, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20150709009819A
- Case key
- 91528
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 failed to maintain obstacle clearance, and the airplane struck a transmission line wire during aerial application operations.
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
The pilot reported that upon completion of an aerial application of fungicide, he made an end clean up pass. He reported that the airplane struck a transmission line wire that he did not see, and then impacted the ground which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that upon completion of an aerial application of fungicide, he made an end clean up pass. He reported that the airplane struck a transmission line wire that he did not see, and then impacted the ground which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2034P
- Reported as
- Weatherly 620B (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1589
- Built
- 1995
- Airframe hours
- 2,317
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney R-985, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Zeledon Roger J DBA
- Registered owner
- Zeledon Roger J DBA
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 21, 2015
- Departed
- E05 · Hatch, NM
- Destination
- E05 · Hatch, NM
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
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 26, 2013
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 2,780 total · 40 in this make and model · 2,720 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- KSVC, 41 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 29, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.2 MB 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.