- Date
- July 24, 2019, 08:20 local (13:20 UTC)
- Place
- Welsh, LA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1509EAir Tractor AT 502
- 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
- 20190724012519A
- Case key
- 99931
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 from a telephone pole during an agricultural application flight.
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 low pass, he descended below the height of wires adjacent to the field. Shortly after, he saw a telephone pole and maneuvered the airplane to avoid the pole, but the airplane's left wing struck the top of the pole. The airplane rolled left and impacted the ground inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that, during an aerial application low pass, he descended below the height of the wires adjacent to the field. Shortly after, he saw a telephone pole and maneuvered the airplane to avoid the pole, but the airplane's left wing struck the top of the pole. The airplane rolled left through a tree and impacted the ground inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the both wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1509E
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT 502 (Undesignat)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 502-0145
- Built
- 1991
- Airframe hours
- 8,773.6
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A-34AG, 750 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 22, 2019
- Departed
- LS18 · Welsh, LA
- Destination
- LS18 · Welsh, LA
- Equipment
- None
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
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 16, 2018
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 5,869 total · 1,849 in this make and model · 5,352 as pilot in command · 219 in the last 90 days · 41 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- KCWF, 19 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 16, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 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.