Pilot Debrief

Air Tractor AT 602 near Quanah, TX — 2019-04-28

Final reportCEN19TA131
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Date
2019-04-28
Location
Quanah, TX, USA
Aircraft
Air Tractor AT 602
Registration
N602AM
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Maneuvering

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the power line during a low altitude aerial application maneuver.

NTSB narrative

The pilot was conducting aerial application passes parallel to a transmission power line. During the final trim pass, the pilot flew out of the field and over the power line. As he was passing over the power line, the propeller blades struck a wire that he did not see, and the engine lost power. The pilot indicated that he conducted a controlled "crash landing" about 1.5 miles away from the power line strike during which the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot further reported that "there was no malfunction prior to hitting the powerline."

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Human factors
First missed decision gate
Avoid the powerline entirely by leaving off the 'clean up' passes along the west boundary.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 1 docket document
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents1

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