Air Tractor AT502 N6135P

Summary

On 12 October 2018 at about 23:31 local time, a Air Tractor AT502 registered N6135P, operated by Coastal Flying Service Inc, was involved in an accident near Placedo, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 October 2018 at 23:31

Classification

Accident

Location

Placedo, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Private (PVT)

Coordinates

28.7058, -96.8044

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT502

Registration

N6135P

Category

Airplane

Year built

1995

Engines

1

Operator

Coastal Flying Service Inc

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Ganado → Ganado

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN19FA003

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the antenna tower, a known obstruction, during the agricultural application flight. Contributing to the accident was glare from the sun which hindered the pilot's ability to see and avoid the antenna tower.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was flying at a low altitude during an agricultural application flight when the airplane impacted a radio antenna tower. The airplane struck the main antenna near the top of the structure, separating the upper section of the tower. A representative of the operator reported that the accident flight was the first time the pilot had sprayed that particular field, which was located about 1/2-mile from the antenna. The pilot had reviewed satellite imagery before the flight in order to identify potential hazards and was aware of power lines running along the south edge of the field and the proximity of the antenna. A witness reported that the airplane appeared to be level and flying along a road in the direction of the antenna. A second witness reported hearing the airplane fly over followed by the sound of the impact with the antenna tower. He subsequently observed the airplane descending toward the ground. The airplane came to rest near the antenna tower along the two-lane road. The road was oriented toward the west-southwest which was nearly in line with the setting sun. The upper section of the antenna tower was intertwined with the right wing of the airplane at the accident site. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a postimpact fire. A postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies consistent with a preimpact failure or malfunction. The antenna tower was marked in accordance with Federal Aviation Administration recommendations. Weather conditions were good at the time of the accident with 10 miles visibility and no obscuration or precipitation. The sun was positioned about 6°above the horizon to the west-southwest. The accident occurred about 30 minutes before sunset. It is likely that the pilot lost situational awareness relative to the antenna tower due to the close proximity of the application field, the power lines, and the antenna tower. In addition, the position of the sun at the time of the accident likely hindered the pilot's ability to see and avoid the antenna tower.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.