Air Tractor AT-502 accident near Lariat, TX
On September 14, 2000, an Air Tractor AT-502 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Lariat, TX. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- September 14, 2000
- Place
- Lariat, TX
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-502 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 34.220°N, 102.721°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001212X21980
NTSB summary
On September 14, 2000, at 1810 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-502 agricultural airplane, N1508V, was substantially damaged when it impacted an antenna tower and terrain while maneuvering near Lariat, Texas. The commercial pilot, sole occupant, was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by Locker Flying Service of Muleshoe, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight. The flight originated from Muleshoe, Texas, at an unknown time. According to the FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, a witness observed the airplane making several spray passes over the field in which the antenna tower was located. The witness observed the aircraft making a "very low spray pass." He then observed the airplane pull nose up and bank to the left. The right wing "caught the uppermost guy wire on the north side of the antenna." Subsequently, the wire snapped "causing the upper part of the tower to fall." The witnessed added that the impact with the wire had "disrupted the flight of the aircraft by spinning it to the right." The airplane then impacted the ground and caught fire. According to FAA records, the pilot had accumulated approximately 15,750 total flight hours, of which an unknown amount were in the accident airplane. An autopsy on the pilot was performed at the Lubbock County Medical Examiner's Office, Lubbock, Texas. According to the Medical Examiner, the pilot died as a result of "blunt impact to [the] torso and extremities and 26%
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the antenna guy wire. A factor was the pilot's physical impairment from his use of diphenhydramine.
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Browse: Texas · Air Tractor aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
