Air Tractor AT-400 N155HF

Summary

On 19 July 2013 at about 13:07 local time, a Air Tractor AT-400 registered N155HF, operated by Timothy Malsberg, was involved in an accident near Steward, Illinois, 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

19 July 2013 at 13:07

Classification

Accident

Location

Steward, Illinois, United States

Nearest airport

Dixon Municipal (C73)

Coordinates

41.8711, -89.0183

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-400

Registration

N155HF

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Timothy Malsberg

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Dixon → Dixon

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN13LA425

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the guy wires during an aerial application maneuver. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to identify potential obstructions in the area before beginning low-altitude maneuvers.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he circled the field to check for obstacles before beginning to apply the agricultural product, but did not see any obstructions. He made the first aerial application pass without incident; however, during the second pass, the airplane hit guy wires "head on." The guy wires extended farther into the field than the pilot was accustomed to and can be difficult to see. The airplane impacted the cornfield, and the two adjacent towers were toppled by the impact with the guy wires. The pilot reported that there was no preaccident malfunction or system failure of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.