During an aerial application flight to apply fungicide to a wheat field, the pilot was flying the Rockwell S2R from west to east making a spray pass along the south edge of the field, which was bordered by powerlines.
About 660′ from the west end of the field where the pilot started his spray pass, a set of guy wires originated from the top of one of the utility poles that supported the powerlines, extended about 65′ into the field, and ran directly perpendicular to and in line with the airplane’s flight path.
However, the pilot failed to maintain clearance with the guy wires, and the airplane’s outboard right wing hit the wires.
The airplane subsequently veered right and hit the powerlines, crossed a road that bordered the field on the south, and collided with a stand of trees near De Smet, Idaho.
The airplane came to rest within the stand of trees about 490′ southeast of the initial impact point with the guy wires. The pilot died in the crash.
Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Given that the sun was very close to the horizon and would have been almost directly in the pilot’s eyes as he attempted to avoid the guy wires, it is likely that sun glare contributed to his difficulty in maintaining clearance from the wires.
Probable cause: The pilot’s inadequate visual lookout, which resulted in his failure to maintain clearance from guy wires during an aerial application flight. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s reduced ability to see the guy wires due to sun glare.
NTSB Identification: WPR16FA120
This June 2016 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Naturally I hate to hear of a fatality and feel for this guy and his family but I fly a lot in areas where there are crop dusters and they are some of the most dangerous fliers in the air so it’s a small wonder more aren’t killed than there are. They either don’t have radios in their planes or don’t use them because I’ve been flying for about 12 years and I’ve yet to hear a single crop-duster speak a single word on the radio. They are just as likely to land on the taxiway as the runway and never follow any of the airport pattern rules. I’ve had them pull out and depart from the opposite end of the runway after I’ve already started to accelerate. Recently I was holding short at the runway while I set up to depart when out of the blue one crop duster landed on the runway in front of me and one on the taxiway behind me and I had not seen either one of them because both had apparently performed a “military” type approach. Thankfully they don’t use my home airport.
Idaho means high altitude and low performance. Just starting a field means the plane was heavy.
Guy wires are hard to see, particularly when they are alone.
Some applicators won’t do a field unless they have inspected the field on the ground or at least done a fly-over with a good camera to take pictures of all the corners, poles and fences.
Sometimes people are in too much of a hurry to to plan.