Summary
On June 01, 2000, a Air Tractor AT-401B (N5028Q) was involved in an accident near Thibodaux, LA. The accident resulted in 1 serious injury. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the power lines while maneuvering during an aerial application flight. A factor was the sunglare on the windscreen.
On June 1, 2000, at 0820 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-401B agricultural airplane, N5028Q, struck a power line during an aerial application flight near Thibodaux, Louisiana. The airplane was owned and operated by Golden Ranch Aviation, Inc., of Schriever, Louisiana, under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137. The commercial pilot, sole occupant, received serious injuries, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight, and a flight plan was not filed.
This accident is documented in NTSB report FTW00LA162. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N5028Q.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the power lines while maneuvering during an aerial application flight. A factor was the sunglare on the windscreen.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On June 1, 2000, at 0820 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-401B agricultural airplane, N5028Q, struck a power line during an aerial application flight near Thibodaux, Louisiana. The airplane was owned and operated by Golden Ranch Aviation, Inc., of Schriever, Louisiana, under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137. The commercial pilot, sole occupant, received serious injuries, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight, and a flight plan was not filed. The flight originated approximately 0800 from the Golden Ranch Aviation, Inc., private airstrip.
According to the pilot's statement, the pilot circled the target area (a crawfish pond, located approximately 10-12 miles northwest of the airstrip) to be sprayed, "looking for obstacles and wind direction." The pilot made the first spray run from the north to the south, and the second pass from the south to north. After completing the second run, the pilot passed over power lines and executed a turn to the right and into the direction of the sun. According to the pilot, the sunlight and glare on the windscreen "blocked [his] vision" temporarily. While still in the turn, the pilot regained "forward vision" and realized the airplane was flying "into the power lines." After striking the power lines, the airplane came to rest upright in the crawfish pond.
According to the U.S. Naval Observatory Astronomical Applications Department, the official sunrise on June 1, 2000, occurred at 0603.
According to the FAA inspector, who examined the wreckage, the wings sustained spar damage, and the propeller was damaged.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# FTW00LA162