The pilot reported that while in a left turn during an aerial application flight, the Air Tractor AT-502 encountered a gust of wind and began to “shake,” so he leveled the wings momentarily before continuing the turn.
He added he was looking at the field instead of where he was turning. When the plane was 30′ to 50′ above the ground he looked up and saw electrical wires.
The right wing tip struck the electrical wires and the airplane made a forced landing in a pond near Paragould, Arkansas.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and fuselage. The pilot sustained minor injuries.
The pilot also reported that during the day of the accident he was under stress and his head was “in another place.”
Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to avoid electrical wires during low-altitude maneuvering, which resulted in a wire strike.
NTSB Identification: GAA17CA030
This October 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.
I see this every year ever since retiring from crop dusting. We had ’em while I was working (I did it once).