Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
the pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the telephone pole. Factors associated with the accident were the pole and the glare from the rising sun.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On May 17, 1998, at 0830 central daylight time, a WSK PZL Mielec M-18A, N2284B, operated by Kratz Aerial Ag Service, Inc., collided with a telephone pole during an aerial application maneuver. The accident occurred near Dawson, North Dakota. The commercial pilot received serious injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. The 14 CFR Part 137 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan.
Post accident inspection of the accident site by an Inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration Flight Standards District Office revealed the propeller on N2284B contacted the telephone pole at a height of about 30 feet above the ground. The propeller was "severely" damaged and twisted according to the inspector. The airplane impacted the terrain after it collided with the telephone pole. The airplane was traveling to the east into the sun at the time of the accident.
The pilot does not remember any event surrounding the accident.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CHI98LA155