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April 28, 2019 · Air Tractor AT 602 No Series · N602AM

Quanah, TX

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
April 28, 2019
Injury Outcomes
No injuries (1 uninjured)
Location
Quanah, TX
Aircraft
Air Tractor AT 602 No Series (1997)
Tail Number
N602AM
Operator
Buffalo Ridge Airspray
Injuries
None
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
CEN19TA131

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."

NTSB Probable Cause

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

Full Narrative

On April 28, 2019, about 1258 central daylight time, an Air Tractor Inc. AT-602 airplane, N602AM, impacted a powerline and subsequently impacted terrain near Quanah, Texas. The commercial pilot reported no injuries. The airplane sustained substantial fuselage damage during the impact with terrain. The airplane was registered to and operated by Buffalo Ridge Airspray LLC as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area about the time of the accident, and the flight was not operated on a flight plan. The local flight originated from the Quanah Municipal Airport, near Quanah, Texas, about 1200. The pilot reported that the airplane was loaded up to spray 200 acres north west of Quanah, Texas, where the wind was from the east northeast about 7 to 9 mph. However, local wind at a nearby airport was 130° at 5 kts. The aerial application passes were conducted east to west, paralleling a transmission powerline. The flight was uneventful for the entire load. Before departing the field location, the pilot performed two "clean up" passes along the west boundary of the field flying from the south to the north. The first north bound heading trim pass was successful. The pilot flew the airplane to the south end of the field to initiate the second and final trim pass. As the pilot flew out of the field over the powerline, he thought the airplane had cleared the powerline. He subsequently thought the propeller blades struck the wire that he did not see and the engine lost power. The pilot conducted the "proper emergency steps such as fuel, feather the prop, and trim the aircraft." He then performed a controlled "crash landing," next to the wheat field he was trying to land in, about 1.5 miles away from the powerline strike. The pilot further reported that "there was no malfunction prior to hitting the powerline." The pilot's safety recommendation stated, "Avoid the powerline entirely by leaving off the "clean up" passes along the west boundary of my field. I could have waited for a south wind to help get my spray under the wire and around the northwest corner of the application area, instead of making the extra "clean up" passes towards the wire."

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time12:58 CDT
Nearest Airport0nm
Flight Plan FiledNone
Flight Plan ActivatedNo
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftAir Tractor AT 602 No Series
Tail NumberN602AM
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
OperatorBuffalo Ridge Airspray
Operating RulePart 137
Engines1
Engine TypeTurboprop
Engine DetailsPratt & Whitney · PT6A-60AG · Turboprop · 1050
Seats1

People & Injuries

Injury SummaryNo injuries (1 uninjured)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured1
Total1
Crew 1Age 25 · Second Class · None

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind130° @ 5 kt
Visibility10 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point66 F / 57
Altimeter29.88 inHg
Observation Time17:01
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data