The commercial pilot reported that, while spraying a field near Hawkinsville, Georgia, he flew the Thrush S2R-H80 over the field east and west and was blinded by the sun.
For the next application, he decided to fly north and south over the field so the sun was not in his eyes.
When he finished spraying that field, he remembered that he was supposed to spray another field to the east, but he could not remember anything after that.
The airplane was found resting in the field.
The airplane and a 150-foot-tall antenna tower located on the east edge of the field were substantially damaged, and a portion of the tower structure was found entangled with the right wing. The pilot was seriously injured.
Review of astronomical data indicated that the sun at the time of the accident in relation to the tower location was almost due east.
The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from an antenna tower while maneuvering during an agricultural application flight while flying directly toward the sun.
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This September 2020 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.
