- Date
- June 17, 2019, 11:41 local (16:41 UTC)
- Place
- Liberal, KS
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5044YAir Tractor AT402
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 13, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190617007209A
- Case key
- 99655
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 see and avoid a windmill tower while maneuvering at low altitude.
Findings · 2
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, during an agricultural application flight, his attention was focused "on a shed and electrical lines." While maneuvering to the north at a low altitude, the airplane's right wing collided with an unseen galvanized windmill tower. He reported that the tower had blended into the gray sky. He attempted to control the airplane, but it descended and impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during an agricultural application flight, his attention was focused, "on a shed and electrical lines." While maneuvering to the north at a low altitude, the airplane's right wing collided with an unseen galvanized windmill tower. He reported that the tower had blended into the gray sky. He attempted to control the airplane, but it descended and collided with the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5044Y
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT402 (A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 402A-1036
- Built
- 1997
- Airframe hours
- 6,958.8
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A-11AG, 550 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Crop-Serv Inc.
- Registered owner
- Crop-Serv Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 3, 2019
- Departed
- MEJ · Meade, KS
- Destination
- MEJ · Meade, KS
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Handheld GPS, Onboard weather
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
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 20, 2018
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 8,171 total · 746 in this make and model · 8,016 as pilot in command · 74 in the last 90 days · 42 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- KLBL, 2 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 23, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.0 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.