Accident Overview
On April 28, 2019, at approximately 1258 central daylight time, an Air Tractor Inc. AT-602 airplane, registration N602AM, collided with a powerline and subsequently impacted terrain near Quanah, Texas. The aircraft was operated by Buffalo Ridge Airspray LLC as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight. The commercial pilot reported no injuries. The airplane sustained substantial fuselage damage during the terrain impact.
Flight Details
The flight originated from Quanah Municipal Airport around 1200. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot had loaded the aircraft to treat 200 acres of crop northwest of Quanah, where the wind was from the east northeast at 7 to 9 mph. Local wind at a nearby airport was 130° at 5 knots. The aerial application passes were flown east to west, paralleling a transmission powerline. The initial spray run was uneventful.
Pilot Account
Before departing the field, the pilot performed two "clean up" passes along the west boundary, flying from south to north. The first northbound trim pass was successful. For the second pass, the pilot flew to the south end of the field. As he exited over the powerline, he believed the airplane had cleared the wire. He then perceived that the propeller blades struck a wire he had not seen, resulting in a loss of engine power. The pilot executed emergency procedures: adjusting the fuel, feathering the propeller, and adjusting the trim. He performed a controlled crash landing adjacent to the intended wheat field, approximately 1.5 miles from the powerline strike. The pilot stated there was no malfunction prior to hitting the powerline.
Recommendations
The pilot offered a safety recommendation: avoid the powerline entirely by omitting the cleanup passes along the west boundary, or wait for a south wind to help keep the spray under the wire and around the northwest corner of the application area, instead of making additional cleanup passes toward the wire.