Air Tractor AT-502B N598LA

Summary

On 17 October 2012 at about 21:30 local time, a Air Tractor AT-502B registered N598LA, operated by King AG Leasing Inc, was involved in an accident near Portales, New Mexico, 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

17 October 2012 at 21:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Portales, New Mexico, United States

Coordinates

34.1717, -103.1589

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-502B

Registration

N598LA

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

King AG Leasing Inc

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Portales → Portales

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN13CA019

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from power lines during an aerial application flight.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot was maneuvering the airplane above a crop field during an aerial application flight. Upon entering the field from the south, the pilot misjudged the airplane’s distance from power lines and struck a power line. He subsequently lost control of the airplane, which impacted terrain and came to rest inverted, sustaining substantial damage to the empennage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane or engine.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.