N602FH – Air Tractor AT 602 – 2020-07-27 NTSB Accident Report

On July 27, 2020, a Air Tractor AT 602 (N602FH) was involved in an incident near Tiro, OH. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance while attempting to fly under power lines during an aerial application pass.

The pilot was conducting an aerial application flight at the time of the accident. Before spraying, he circled the field and noted high tension power lines. He completed 3 spray runs without incident, passing under the power lines on 2 of those passes. However, on the 4th pass, the pilot "did not maintain a low enough altitude" and the vertical stabilizer struck the lines. The upper portion of the vertical stabilizer and the entire rudder separated from the airframe. He was able to maintain control with a "total loss of rudder control" and executed a forced landing to a harvested wheat field.

This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN20CA312. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N602FH.