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Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

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October 22, 2019 · Air Tractor AT 502 B · N9143F

Lamesa, TX

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
October 22, 2019
Injury Outcomes
No injuries (1 uninjured, 1 unknown outcome)
Location
Lamesa, TX
Aircraft
Air Tractor AT 502 B (1992)
Tail Number
N9143F
Operator
Plains Aerial Applicators
Injuries
None
Aircraft Damage
Minor
NTSB Number
CEN20LA013

The pilot was returning from a local aerial application flight when he decided to fly at low altitude past a wind turbine that he believed his friend was working on. The airplane's right wing collided with a tagline rope that was attached to one of the wind turbine blades and being held by a worker on the ground. The worker was thrown about 20 ft and sustained several fractured vertebrae and a broken leg. The airplane's right wing sustained minor damage; however, the pilot was able to make a normal landing at his intended destination without incident.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's improper decision to maneuver at a low altitude and in close proximity to a wind turbine undergoing maintenance, which resulted in a collision with a tagline rope being held by a worker on the ground and serious injury to the worker.

Full Narrative

On October 22, 2019, about 1200 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-502B airplane, N9143F, collided with a tagline rope while maneuvering near a wind turbine located near Lamesa, Texas. The commercial pilot was not injured, but a worker on the ground was seriously injured. The airplane sustained minor damage. The airplane was operated by Plains Aerial Applicators Inc, Olton, Texas, as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 137 aerial application flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight that departed Lamesa Municipal Airport (LUV), Lamesa, Texas, at 1108. According to the pilot, the takeoff and aerial application portion of the flight was uneventful. The pilot reported that as he flew back toward LUV he sent a text message to a friend who was working on a wind turbine located along US Route 180 and about 10 miles east of LUV. The pilot stated that he intentionally flew at a low altitude past the wind turbine that he believed his friend was working on. The airplane's right wing collided with a tagline rope that was attached to one of the wind turbine blades and being held by a worker on the ground. Following the collision, the pilot was able to make a normal landing at LUV. The airplane sustained minor damage to the right wing leading and trailing edges. The pilot reported that he later found out that his friend had been working on a different wind turbine in the same area. According to the wind turbine company, the technician on the ground was holding onto a 500 ft long tagline rope that was attached to a wind turbine blade about 403 ft above the ground. The technician was standing about 294 ft from the base of the wind turbine when the airplane collided with the tagline rope. The technician was thrown about 20 ft and sustained several fractured vertebrae and a broken leg.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time12:00 CDT
Nearest Airport0nm
Flight Plan FiledNone
Flight Plan ActivatedNo
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftAir Tractor AT 502 B
Tail NumberN9143F
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageMinor
OperatorPlains Aerial Applicators
Operating RulePart 137
Engines1
Engine TypeTurboprop
Engine DetailsPratt & Whitney · PT6A · Turboprop · 680
Seats1

People & Injuries

Injury SummaryNo injuries (1 uninjured, 1 unknown outcome)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured1
Total2
Crew 1Age 43 · Second Class · None

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind130° @ 8 kt
Visibility10 sm
CeilingOvercast 11000 ft
Temperature / Dew Point63 F / 27 C
Altimeter30.23 inHg
Observation Time16:55
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data