Wirestrike Accident Ayres S-2R-T Turbo Thrush N4956X,
ASN logo
ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 266613
 
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information. If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.

Date:Tuesday 10 August 2021
Time:07:40 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic SS2T model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Ayres S-2R-T Turbo Thrush
Owner/operator:Private
Registration: N4956X
MSN: 2164R
Year of manufacture:1985
Engine model:Honeywell TPE331-6-252M
Fatalities:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:Strasburg, ND -   United States of America
Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:Agricultural
Departure airport:Linton, ND (7L2)
Destination airport:Strasburg, ND
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The pilot had completed one aerial application flight and was in the process of spraying a sunflower field. The flight track indicated that the airplane entered the area from the north and made a left turn over the field. The recorded flight track ended before the airplane descended toward the target field. It is likely that the pilot started spraying the field beginning at the northeast corner and headed west. A witness driving eastbound observed the airplane flying west after it exited the sunflower field. As the airplane flew under three power lines, the top of the vertical stabilizer hit the second line. The airplane then collided with the third line, crashed onto a road, and slid into a field.
A colleague of the pilot, who was familiar with the operation, stated that he and the pilot had sprayed this field many times before and that they always used a north-south racetrack pattern. He had never seen the pilot spray this field in an east-west pattern before and added that it should not be done due to the large powerlines on the west side of the field.
A postaccident examination of the accident site and airplane revealed wire strike signatures on the airplane. Two areas on the airplane exhibited black sooting and burn marks, which were indicative of the airplane contacting two power lines simultaneously resulting in electrical arcing. The airplane examination did not reveal any evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

Probable Cause: The pilot's intentional flight under power lines and his failure to maintain clearance from the lines during an aerial application flight.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: CEN21FA368
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year and 5 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB CEN21FA368
FAA register: https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=4956x

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
10-Aug-2021 16:36 Geno Added
10-Aug-2021 18:06 harro Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Total fatalities, Source, Category]
11-Aug-2021 14:02 Captain Adam Updated [Registration, Cn, Operator, Source, Embed code, Damage, Narrative]
11-Aug-2021 14:37 Anon. Updated [Source, Embed code]
12-Oct-2021 21:19 Captain Adam Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category]

Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description

The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:

CONNECT WITH US: FSF on social media FSF Facebook FSF Twitter FSF Youtube FSF LinkedIn FSF Instagram

©2024 Flight Safety Foundation

1920 Ballenger Av, 4th Fl.
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
www.FlightSafety.org