- Date
- July 31, 2000, 08:13 local (14:13 UTC)
- Place
- Brockway, MT
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4330SAir Tractor AT-301
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 18, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000731010099A
- Case key
- 49859
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 lines.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During a routine aerial application flight, the aircraft collided with a power pole guy wire. The pilot stated that his spray path was parallel to a series of power transmission lines and that he did not see the guy wire prior to the collision. The guy wire severed the outboard section of the aircraft's right wing and aileron. The aircraft subsequently rolled to the right and collided with terrain. The aircraft came to rest, inverted, approximately 1,100 feet from the initial impact. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that contributed to the accident.
Factual narrative
On July 31, 2000, about 0813 mountain daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-301, N4330S, registered to the pilot and operated by Harris Spray, Incorporated, as a 14CFR137 aerial application flight, was substantially damaged after colliding with a power pole guy wire and terrain near Brockway, Montana. The commercial pilot sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The flight originated from Brockway, Montana approximately 15 minutes prior to the accident.
During a routine aerial application flight, the aircraft collided with a power pole guy wire. The pilot stated that his spray path was parallel to a series of power transmission lines and that he did not see the guy wire prior to the collision. The guy wire severed the outboard section of the aircraft's right wing and aileron. The aircraft subsequently rolled to the right and collided with terrain. The aircraft came to rest, inverted, approximately 1,100 feet from the initial impact point.
The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that contributed to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4330S
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-301
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 301-0010
- Airframe hours
- 4,978
- Engine
- P&W R 1340-AN1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Harris Spray Inc.
- Registered owner
- Jeff Skyberg
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 4, 2000 · 69 hours before
- Departed
- Brockway, MT
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 4,399 total · 863 in this make and model · 4,348 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.