No fatalities

4 Aug 2019: Air Tractor AT502 B — Sky Tech Inc — Waco, NE

Waco, NE, United States

On 4 Aug 2019, an Air Tractor AT502 B operated by Sky Tech Inc was involved in an aviation accident near Waco, NE. 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.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot during an agricultural application flight struck previously unseen guy wires while focusing on lower wires, causing substantial damage to the right wing and engine mounts.

Incident Overview

During an agricultural application flight, the pilot circled the intended spray field to identify obstacles. He observed a large tower and its associated guy wires. Approaching the field from the south, the pilot attempted to locate the previously seen wires but became fixated on the lower wires. Consequently, the airplane struck wires that he had not seen.

Aircraft Response and Landing

Upon impact, the airplane pitched upward to the right, and the wires broke. The airplane surged forward, after which the pilot maneuvered and landed the aircraft on a nearby bean field.

Damage

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and engine mounts.

Pilot Report

The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Contributing factors

PilotEffect on operation