Agricultural Aircraft Destroyed in High-Voltage Wire Collision

Casualties unknown • SENTINELA DO SUL, RS, BR

A Cessna A188 crashed in rural Brazil after striking a lightning arrester cable on a high-voltage power grid during a pesticide application mission.

What happened

On February 7, 2015, a Cessna A188, registration PT-LOA, was performing agricultural pesticide applications over soybean crops in the rural area of Sentinela do Sul, Brazil. The aircraft had departed from Centeno Aerodrome approximately ten minutes prior to the accident.

During its second application pass, the aircraft was executing a right-hand turn when the propeller struck a lightning arrester cable attached to a high-voltage power grid. This specific cable was positioned approximately 3 meters above the other distribution lines in the network. The impact caused the wire to shift downward, tearing the spray pump and the right landing gear from the aircraft. Following the collision, the aircraft lost control and struck the ground at an angle of approximately 6/0 degrees, overturning 62 meters away from the transmission lines. The impact resulted in the destruction of the aircraft and the death of the pilot.

Probable cause

The primary cause of the accident was the pilot's failure to detect the lightning arrester cable, likely due to its different color and its height difference relative to the parallel power lines. Contributing factors included a lack of standardized signaling for power grids in agricultural areas, the pilot's limited experience in his first agricultural crop, and a professional culture that encourages flying close to power lines to optimize application quality.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 2015-02-07 aircraft accident near SENTINELA DO SUL, RS, BR?

A Cessna A188 crashed in rural Brazil after striking a lightning arrester cable on a high-voltage power grid during a pesticide application mission.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 2015-02-07 involved a aircraft, registration PTLOA, at SENTINELA DO SUL, RS, BR.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The primary cause of the accident was the pilot's failure to detect the lightning arrester cable, likely due to its different color and its height difference relative to the parallel power lines. Contributing factors included a lack of standardized signaling for power grids in agricultural areas, the pilot's limited…

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