Air Tractor AT-802A N86BM

Summary

On 19 July 2013 at about 14:34 local time, a Air Tractor AT-802A registered N86BM, operated by Milhon Air Inc, was involved in an accident near Huntingburg, Indiana, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 July 2013 at 14:34

Classification

Accident

Location

Huntingburg, Indiana, United States

Nearest airport

Huntingburg Airport (KHNB)

Coordinates

38.2519, -86.9214

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-802A

Registration

N86BM

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Milhon Air Inc

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Huntingburg → Huntingburg

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN13LA424

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a power line during an aerial application maneuver. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to identify potential obstructions in the area before beginning low-altitude maneuvers.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot conducted an aerial application flight over three fields for about an hour. Data recovered from the on-board GPS system, which recorded the airplane's flight path and altitude, revealed that the pilot flew two full circles over the first field before beginning aerial application to that field. According to the operator, these circles were consistent with routine "scouting" passes to look for obstructions. The data showed that no similar "scouting" circles were flown over either the second or third field. The aerial application on the third field was completed in a small valley, and the pilot appeared to be set up to spray on an easterly heading, into the sun. Power lines were oriented on a north-south heading at the east end of this field. The airplane struck one of these power lines and then continued briefly in an easterly direction before it impacted terrain. Examination of the accident site revealed that a power line was severed from the impact and that pieces of the power line were among main wreckage. A postaccident examination did not reveal any evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal airplane operation. According to the operator, before a pilot sprays a field, it is normal to circle the field at least once to look for obstructions. Because the pilot did not adequately scout the area for potential hazards and was flying toward the sun, it is likely that he was not aware of the power lines and did not see them before impact.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.