On September 1, 1983, a Cessna 188 (registration N9986G) was involved in an aviation accident near Little York, IN. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to see and avoid unmarked wires that were difficult to see due to being located in trees during an agricultural spraying operation. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An agricultural aircraft struck a second set of unmarked wires during a crop dusting run. The pilot had circled to check for obstructions but could not see the poles hidden in trees.
What happened
The pilot was conducting an agricultural spraying operation and stated that he circled the area to look for wires and other obstructions prior to beginning his spray run. During one of these runs, the aircraft flew over a first set of wires without incident. However, it subsequently struck a second set of wires. The poles supporting these wires were difficult to see because they were located within trees. From the direction in which the aircraft was flying, it would have been difficult for the pilot to see the wires that the aircraft struck.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the visibility of the obstructions and the pilot's pre-flight checks. It was determined that the second set of wires was not marked. Additionally, the support poles were obscured by surrounding vegetation, making them hard to identify from the approach path.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to see and avoid unmarked wires that were difficult to see due to being located in trees during an agricultural spraying operation.
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