On 24 Jul 2019, an Air Tractor AT 502 Undesignat operated by Plains Aerial Application Inc. was involved in an aviation accident near STANTON, TX. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from wires 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.
During an aerial application flight, the airplane struck an unseen wire, causing the right wing to drop. The pilot attempted to level the aircraft, but the wing collided with the ground, leading to a cartwheel and inverted resting position. The fuselage and both wings sustained substantial damage.
Occurrence
During an aerial application flight, the pilot had completed a reconnaissance of the operating area. On the last pass, the airplane struck a wire that was not visible to the pilot. He noted that the right wing began to drop, and he applied control inputs to maintain level flight. Despite his efforts, the right wing impacted the ground, causing the airplane to cartwheel. The aircraft eventually came to rest in an inverted position.
Damage Assessment
The accident resulted in substantial damage to both the fuselage and the wings. No further damage details were provided.
Mechanical Condition
The pilot reported that no mechanical failures or malfunctions existed prior to the accident that would have prevented normal operation.