Air Tractor AT-502B N634LA

Summary

On 8 August 2016 at about 19:15 local time, a Air Tractor AT-502B registered N634LA, operated by Burnette Aviation Inc, was involved in an accident near Hickory Ridge, Arkansas, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 August 2016 at 19:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Hickory Ridge, Arkansas, United States

Coordinates

35.3992, -91.0019

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-502B

Registration

N634LA

Category

Airplane

Year built

2001

Engines

1

Operator

Burnette Aviation Inc

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hickory Ridge → Hickory Ridge

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dawn

NTSB number

CEN16LA312

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a transmission line while maneuvering at low altitude.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During an aerial application flight, the airplane collided with a transmission line during a turn. The line became entangled with the airplane, and the airplane collided with terrain. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. The pilot's medical certificate had expired several months before the accident. The pilot had been diagnosed with depression, diabetes mellitus, diabetes insipidus, hypogonadism, hypothyroidism, and hypoadrenalism; however, he had not reported any of these conditions or the medications used to treat them to the FAA. It is unlikely that the pilot's diabetes insipidus, hypogonadism, hypothyroidism, or hypoadrenalism or their treatments contributed to the accident. However, his poorly controlled diabetes mellitus could have led to high blood sugar, which can result in blurred vision, or low blood sugar, which can slow psychomotor functioning Additionally, the pilot was known to have peripheral neuropathy with decreased sensation in his feet and a foot drop, which could have impaired his physical ability to use the rudder pedals. It could not be determined if the pilot's diabetes mellitus contributed to the accident. Further, the status of the pilot's psychiatric disease, including the severity of symptoms from his depression and any other psychiatric symptoms, around the time of the accident is unknown. Therefore, whether the pilot's psychiatric disease contributed to the accident could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.