- Date
- August 16, 2019, 13:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Onida, SD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N500KAAir Tractor AT502
- 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
- 20190816015469A
- Case key
- 100105
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 power wires during agricultural 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, during an agricultural application flight, he attempted to fly the airplane underneath power wires, but the airplane struck one of the wires. The airplane descended into a cornfield and then came to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower 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 reported that during an aerial application flight, he flew the airplane underneath powerline wires, but the airplane struck one of the wires. The airplane descended into a cornfield where it came to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N500KA
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT502 (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 502B-2657
- Built
- 2009
- Airframe hours
- 4,071.8
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A-34AG, 750 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Wilbur Ellis Air Llc
- Registered owner
- Wilbur Ellis Air Llc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 25, 2019
- Departed
- PIR · Pierre, SD
- Destination
- PIR · Pierre, SD
- 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
- 69
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 21, 2019
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 32,843 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 32,062 as pilot in command · 105 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.84 inHg
- Observed at
- KPIR, 22 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 10, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.4 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.