Air Tractor AT 502 accident near Harlingen, TX
On April 9, 2019, an Air Tractor AT 502 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Harlingen, TX. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- April 9, 2019
- Place
- Harlingen, TX
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT 502 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 26.293°N, 97.765°W
- NTSB ID
- 20190409X51503
Official records · CEN19FA117
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn April 9, 2019, about 1033 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-502 airplane, N7314D, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Harlingen, Texas. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 agricultural flight without a flight plan. The purpose of the flight was to spray pesticide over a cultivated cotton field. There were multiple witnesses who saw the low-flying airplane collide with power transmission lines as it descended into the field to be sprayed. One individual saw the airplane flying east before it made a “sharp right turn” back toward the west and the field to be sprayed. The airplane pitched down and flew over the highway from east-to-west at a low altitude. The airplane then collided with power transmission lines and exploded when it hit the ground. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot's flight history was established using his logbook. He began flying agricultural operations in April 1965, and his first flight in an Air Tractor AT-502 airplane was in September 1987. He logged at least 7,500 flight hours in the accident airplane. The final logbook entry was for a flight review dated March 24, 2016, at which time he had logged about 27,400 total flight hours. AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONThe airplane's hour meter was destroyed during the postimpact fire, which prevented a determination of the airplane's total service time at the time of the accident. A review of the maintenance records found no history of unresolved airworthiness issues. The operator reported that the
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from power transmission lines during low altitude flight operations. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s impairment due to a sedating medication.
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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.
