On August 14, 2000, an Air Tractor AT-502 (registration N73184) was involved in an aviation accident near Helena, AR. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: the pilot's failure to maintain obstacle clearance. A contributing factor was the sun glare. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During a morning agricultural flight, a pilot struck an irrigation pivot with the right wing while performing a swath run, resulting in wing and aileron separation. The pilot returned to the staging strip and landed safely.
Incident Overview
A pilot conducting agricultural spraying operations on a cotton field struck an irrigation sprinkler pivot with the airplane's right wing during a swath run. The pilot, on his first flight of the morning, had already completed spraying 35 acres of cotton. While flying from east to west, he crossed over some trees and descended for a swath run when the collision occurred.
Damage and Outcome
Approximately 5–6 feet of the right wing and half of its aileron separated from the aircraft as a result of the impact. Despite the damage, the pilot was able to fly the airplane back to the staging strip and land without further incident.
Pilot Statement
The pilot reported that the sun was in his eyes, which hindered his ability to see the irrigation pivot in time to avoid it. No other factors were mentioned in the account.