No fatalities

28 Nov 2018: Air Tractor AT 502 — Souther Field Aviation Inc — Americus, GA

Americus, GA, United States

On 28 Nov 2018, an Air Tractor AT 502 Undesignat operated by Souther Field Aviation Inc was involved in an aviation accident near Americus, GA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to see and avoid a power line during an agricultural application 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

During an agricultural spraying flight, the pilot's aircraft struck a power line wire after a turn at about 20 ft AGL. The subsequent forced landing resulted in substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage.

Incident Overview

A pilot conducting an agricultural application flight reported striking a power line wire after a turn during a spraying operation. The pilot had surveyed the field before spraying and noted multiple power line wires and poles. While spraying, about 20 ft above ground, the pilot pulled up and immediately felt a massive jerk and saw a flash as the airplane's nose struck a power line wire.

Emergency Response and Forced Landing

Following the strike, the pilot entered a descending turn toward an open field adjacent to the spray field. The pilot pushed the power lever forward but did not get a response. During the forced landing, the right wing struck a tree, causing the airplane to rotate 180 degrees. The left wing and empennage then impacted the ground.

Damage Assessment

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.

Pilot Actions

The pilot had visually surveyed the field prior to spraying and was aware of the power line wires and poles. The incident occurred after a turn at low altitude during the spraying pass.

Contributing factors

Causes

PilotAltitude — Not attained/maintainedEffect on operation

Other contributing factors

Contributed to outcome