- Date
- October 17, 2019, 13:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Fabens, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9033TWeatherly 620
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 21, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20191017023249A
- Case key
- 100450
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 while maneuvering at a 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, he made six passes underneath power wires to complete the applications. On the seventh pass underneath the power wires, the wire deflector cable and the vertical stabilizer struck the wires. The pilot asserted that the vertical stabilizer jammed the rudder to the left, and the airplane entered a skidding left turn and then impacted terrain. The airplane was consumed by fire.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during an agricultural application flight, he made 6 passes underneath powerline wires to complete the applications. On the 7th pass underneath the powerline wires, the wire deflector cable and the vertical stabilizer struck the wires. The pilot asserted that the vertical stabilizer jammed the rudder to the left, and the airplane entered a skidding left turn. The airplane impacted the ground and the pilot exited the airplane. The airplane was consumed by fire. The airplane sustained substantial damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9033T
- Reported as
- Weatherly 620 (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1643
- Built
- 1996
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney R985, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Roger J. Zeledon Dba
- Registered owner
- Roger J. Zeledon Dba
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- E35 · Fabens, TX
- Destination
- E35 · Fabens, TX
- 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
- 79
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 13, 2018
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 25,000 total · 50 in this make and model · 24,000 as pilot in command · 250 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- KELP, 10 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 30, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 675 KB 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.