- Date
- August 4, 2019, 12:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Waco, NE
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N730JDAir Tractor AT502
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 11, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190804013349A
- Case key
- 99993
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 wires 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 flight, he circled the intended spray field looking for obstacles and noted a "big tower" and saw guy wires. He stated that he then approached the field from the south and began looking for the previously seen wires but that he "must have gotten fixated on the lower wires," and the airplane struck wires he had not seen. The airplane pitched up to the right, the wires broke, and the airplane surged forward. He subsequently maneuvered and landed the airplane on a nearby field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and engine mounts. 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 reported that, during an agricultural application flight, he circled the intended spray field looking for obstacles, and noted a "big tower" and saw guy wires. He then approached the field from the south, and began looking for the previously seen wires, but "must have gotten fixated on the lower wires," and the airplane struck wires he had not seen. The airplane pitched up to the right, the wires broke, and the airplane surged forward. He subsequently maneuvered and landed the airplane on a nearby bean field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and engine mounts. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N730JD
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT502 (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 502B-2819
- Built
- 2012
- Airframe hours
- 2,220
- Engine
- P&W Canda PT6A-34AG, 750 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Sky Tech Inc
- Registered owner
- Sky Tech Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- FMZ · Fairmont, NE
- Destination
- FMZ · Fairmont, NE
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 8, 2019
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 9,000 total · 2,220 in this make and model · 9,000 as pilot in command · 300 in the last 90 days · 150 in the last 30 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.07 inHg
- Observed at
- KJYR, 6 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 18, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.3 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.