Pilot Debrief

AIR TRACTOR INC AT-602 near Udall, KS — 2013-05-05

Final reportCEN13LA263
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Date
2013-05-05
Location
Udall, KS, USA
Aircraft
AIR TRACTOR INC AT-602
Registration
N628JP
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

The pilot's inadequate flight planning, which resulted in a wire strike.

NTSB narrative

The pilot of an aerial application flight reported that he arrived at the field and conducted three surveillance orbits to check for obstacles and wires. The pilot flew five spraying passes over the field, but on the sixth pass, the airplane’s propeller and landing gear struck a powerline. The airplane started vibrating severely, and the pilot executed a forced landing to a nearby field. During the landing roll, the left wing struck a large bush that turned the airplane sideways as it skidded to a stop, which resulted in substantial damage to the wing. The pole associated with the powerline that was struck was located in the tree line, and the pilot did not see the low hanging powerline that ran at an angle across the field. He did not have a map of the field, and he was not informed about the low hanging powerline.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Human factors
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have checked for low hanging powerlines before starting spraying passes.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 7 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents7

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