Summary
On July 28, 2010, a Air Tractor INC AT-502B (N6030U) was involved in an accident near Zwingle, IA. The accident resulted in 1 minor 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 from wires during the agricultural flight.
The pilot reported that after an agricultural spraying run that he had completed, he made a turn for another pass. As he came out of that turn, the airplane was heading west into the afternoon sun. The pilot misjudged the height of the top wire of poles along the edge of the field. After striking the wire he noted that he had almost no elevator control and executed a landing in a field. The airplane subsequently nosed over. The pilot made no mention of control difficulties prior to striking the wire.
This accident is documented in NTSB report CEN10CA445. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N6030U.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from wires during the agricultural flight.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The pilot reported that after an agricultural spraying run that he had completed, he made a turn for another pass. As he came out of that turn, the airplane was heading west into the afternoon sun. The pilot misjudged the height of the top wire of poles along the edge of the field. After striking the wire he noted that he had almost no elevator control and executed a landing in a field. The airplane subsequently nosed over. The pilot made no mention of control difficulties prior to striking the wire.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN10CA445