Summary
On May 23, 2012, a Ayres Corporation S2R-R1340 (N30951) was involved in an accident near Clear Lake, SD. 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 perform a detailed observation of the power lines before beginning the aerial application work, which resulted in an inadvertent collision with the two lower wires.
The pilot reported that he saw the power lines at the north end of the field as he started the aerial application work. However, he reported that he did not conduct a detailed observation of the lines. The power lines encountered during the accident flight had two lower wires that he did not anticipate. The arrangement of the power lines was different from those he had encountered in the area previously. As he approached the north end of the field, he was concentrating on a small group of trees when the airplane impacted the lines. He stated that the two lower wires caught him completely by surprise. The windshield separated as a result of the impact and he had difficulty seeing because of debris and wind in his eyes.
This accident is documented in NTSB report CEN12CA313. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N30951.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to perform a detailed observation of the power lines before beginning the aerial application work, which resulted in an inadvertent collision with the two lower wires.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The pilot reported that he saw the power lines at the north end of the field as he started the aerial application work. However, he reported that he did not conduct a detailed observation of the lines. The power lines encountered during the accident flight had two lower wires that he did not anticipate. The arrangement of the power lines was different from those he had encountered in the area previously. As he approached the north end of the field, he was concentrating on a small group of trees when the airplane impacted the lines. He stated that the two lower wires caught him completely by surprise. The windshield separated as a result of the impact and he had difficulty seeing because of debris and wind in his eyes. He subsequently elected to dump the application load and execute a precautionary/forced landing to an open field. The pilot reported that there were no anomalies related to the airplane prior to impacting the wires. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and during the landing.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN12CA313