Air Tractor AT-502 N1508V
14 September 2000 · Lariat, Texas, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 14 September 2000 at about 23:10 local time, a Air Tractor AT-502 registered N1508V was involved in an accident near Lariat, Texas, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 23:10
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Lariat, Texas, United States
- Coordinates
- 34.2198, -102.7207
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-502
- Registration
- N1508V
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 137: Agricultural
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial Application
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Muleshoe → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW00LA259
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
A witness observed the agricultural airplane making several spray passes over the field in which an 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 contacted 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 witness 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. The pilot had accumulated approximately 15,750 total flight hours, of which an unknown amount were in the accident airplane. According to toxicology tests, 0.071 ug/ml of diphenhydramine was detected in the pilot's blood, and an unquantified amount was found in the urine. Diphenhydramine is an over-the-counter drug used as an antihistamine. Results of a study on diphenhydramine concluded that it adversely affects a person's ability to maneuver an automobile.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Air Tractor AT-502 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Aug 2000 | Air Tractor AT-502 | Helena, Arkansas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Aug 2000 | Air Tractor AT-502 | Deerpark, Louisiana, United States | Angelina Flying Service | Minor injuries | - |
| 29 Jun 2000 | Air Tractor AT-502 | Portland, North Dakota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jul 1999 | Air Tractor AT-502 | Shelley, Idaho, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 28 May 1999 | Air Tractor AT-502 | Cherry Valley, Arkansas, United States | Michael A. Burnette | No injuries | - |
| 2 Jun 1998 | Air Tractor AT-502 | Clewiston, Florida, United States | Air Corp Care Inc. | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Jul 2000 | Schweizer G-164B | Moscow, Texas, United States | Paynes Flying Service, Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 30 May 2000 | Air Tractor AT-301 | Garwood, Texas, United States | Michael Thompson | Minor injuries | - |
| 19 Apr 2000 | Mooney M20F | Tomball, Texas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 12 Apr 2000 | Piper PA-32R-301 | Rocksprings, Texas, United States | Ivan B. Greenhut | No injuries | - |
| 16 Sep 2000 | Cessna 185F | Burnet, Texas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 26 Feb 2000 | Piper PA-18 | New Ulm, Texas, United States | Leonard F. Firth | Minor injuries | - |