Accident Overview
On Sunday, May 15, 2022, at approximately 06:20 local time (12:20 UTC), an Air Tractor AT502B, registration TI-BCD, operated by El Colono Agropecuario S.A., collided with high-tension power lines during an agricultural application flight. The accident occurred at Finca Esmeralda, located in Rio Jiménez de Guácimo, Limón, Costa Rica. The aircraft was conducting a commercial agricultural operation and had departed from and was destined to return to Guácimo Aerodrome (MRSO).
Aircraft and Operator Information
The aircraft was a fixed-wing Air Tractor AT502B, manufactured by Air Tractor Inc., and powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-34 AG turbine engine. The operator, El Colono Agropecuario S.A., is a commercial agricultural aviation company. The aircraft had a single pilot on board, a 38-year-old male holding licenses for single-engine land aircraft, turbine, agricultural application, and flight instructor.
Sequence of Events
During the second application run over a banana plantation, the pilot was flying a spray path approximately two kilometers long with no obstacles until the endpoint, where high-tension power lines crossed the intended track. The pilot had to interrupt the spray run to cross the power lines, then resume application for another 160 meters before encountering a medium-height wooded area, after which a further 340 meters of banana crop remained. The collision with the power lines occurred during this application run.
Injuries and Damage
No injuries to the pilot or any other persons were reported. The aircraft sustained significant damage: the impact with the power lines resulted in major damage to the horizontal stabilizer, including complete loss of the right stabilizer, along with minor damage along the fuselage.
Investigation Findings
The investigation, conducted by the Unidad de Accidentes e Incidentes del Consejo Técnico de Aviación Civil (UAI-CETAC), ruled out mechanical failure of the turbine engine and any malfunction of the aircraft's flight controls or control surfaces; all systems were operational and functioning correctly at the time of the event. The power lines involved were equipped with visual alert devices, specifically orange spheres, at the accident location. As of the provisional report, the investigation was 85% complete, with further analysis pending.