No fatalities

28 Jul 2010: AIR TRACTOR INC AT-502B — KLINKENBORG AERIAL SPRAYING & SEEDING INC — Zwingle, IA

Zwingle, IA, United States

On 28 Jul 2010, an AIR TRACTOR INC AT-502B operated by KLINKENBORG AERIAL SPRAYING & SEEDING INC was involved in an aviation accident near Zwingle, IA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from wires during the agricultural flight. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot misjudged the height of a top wire while turning for an agricultural pass, struck the wire, lost elevator control, and executed a precautionary landing before nosing over.

Accident Overview

A pilot reported that, after completing an agricultural spraying run, he initiated a turn to align for another pass. As the aircraft exited the turn, it was heading west into the afternoon sun. The pilot misjudged the height of the top wire of poles situated along the edge of the field.

Sequence of Events

While turning, the airplane struck the wire. Following the wire strike, the pilot noted a significant loss of elevator control. He subsequently executed a landing in an open field. After touching down, the airplane nosed over. The pilot made no mention of any control difficulties prior to striking the wire.

Aftermath

The aircraft sustained damage due to the wire strike and the subsequent nose-over. The pilot did not report any injuries. No further details were provided regarding the extent of damage or the specific location of the incident.

Contributing factors

Causes

Pilot

Other contributing factors

Effect on equipmentContributed to outcome