Air Tractor AT-301 N5097S

Summary

On 10 May 2011 at about 13:00 local time, a Air Tractor AT-301 registered N5097S, operated by ANF Air Service Inc, was involved in an accident near Garwood, Texas, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 May 2011 at 13:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Garwood, Texas, United States

Coordinates

29.4497, -96.5097

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-301

Registration

N5097S

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

ANF Air Service Inc

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Garwood → Garwood

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN11CA330

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from transmission wires during a low-level maneuvering flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the pilot reported that he was spraying a field at a low altitude. He said that transmission wires were located near the beginning of the field. He said the airplane encountered an unexpected downdraft which shifted the flight path towards the wires. He unsuccessfully attempted to fly under the wires, but the airplane's propeller and vertical fin struck the wires. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, both wings, the vertical fin, and empennage. According to the FAA inspector, the pilot did not report any preimpact or mechanical malfunctions with the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.