What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 1998-09-02 involved an Air Tractor AT-502B, registration N50620, at Portales, NM.

Aerial Application Aircraft Strikes Sprinkler During GPS Adjustment (N50620)

On September 2, 1998, an Air Tractor AT-502B (registration N50620) was involved in an aviation accident near Portales, NM. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude/clearance during an aerial application. Also causal was the inadvertent ground loop/swerve during the landing. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.

During an aerial application pass, a pilot struck a circular pivot sprinkler while adjusting a GPS, resulting in landing gear separation, a cockpit fire, and destruction of the aircraft in a post-landing fire.

Incident Overview

A pilot conducting an aerial application flight over a cotton field experienced an in-flight collision with a circular pivotal sprinkler system. The sprinkler extended from the northern center of the field to the southeast. The aircraft was flying westbound directly into the sun, which was at 275 degrees and 7 degrees above the horizon at the time of the event.

Sequence of Events

According to the pilot, the accident occurred when he looked away from the flight path to adjust his onboard global positioning system (GPS). During this momentary distraction, the aircraft struck the sprinkler. The impact caused the left main landing gear to separate from the aircraft and initiated a fire in the right-hand forward section of the cockpit.

Emergency Landing

Following the collision, the pilot successfully landed the airplane in an adjacent peanut field. However, during the emergency landing attempt, the aircraft ground looped. The aircraft was subsequently destroyed in the ensuing post-landing fire.

Damage

The aircraft sustained substantial damage, with the left main landing gear detached and a fire erupting in the cockpit. The post-landing fire completely destroyed the aircraft.

1998-09-02: Air Tractor AT-502B (N50620) — Portales, NM