Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Blytheville, Arkansas 72315
Tuesady, August 19, 2003 15:30 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The aerial application airplane impacted transmission wires while performing a spray run. The pilot stated he had flown over the transmission wires on three separate spray runs and was familiar with their location. The pilot reported that he initiated a spray run to the west and "looked down to check pressure gauge on spray boom [and] when I looked up [the] wires were in my face." The pilot stated he should have kept his "attention/concentration on flying the aircraft and not the spray system."

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's inadequate visual lookout and altitude/clearance not being maintained from the transmission wires. A factor to the accident was the transmission wires.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/19/2003
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 1530
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City Blytheville
Event State ARKANSAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 72315
Event Date Year 2003
Event Date Month 8
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 355604N
Event Location Longitude 0895521W
Event Location Airport --
Event Location Nearest Airport ID --
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1553 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) --
Weather Observation Facility ID HKA
Elevation of weather observation facility 255
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) --
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height --
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 8
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 33
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 26
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 90
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 5
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30.04
Density Altitude (feet) 2324
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Minor
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 1
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 14859
NTSB Notification Source FAA
NTSB Notification Date Aug 19 2003 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2125
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Mar 2 2004 8:07AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\MONR
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office Federal Aviation Administration - Little Rock FSDO

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N4114A
NTSB Number CHI03LA273
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 137: Agricultural
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? No
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Ayres
Aircraft Model S2R-T660
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number T660-102
Certified Max Gross Weight 13248
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 1
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name Henry's Aerial Service, Inc.
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. Box 48
Aircraft Owner City Brinkley
Aircraft Owner State AR
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 72021
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name --
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address --
Operator City --
Operator State --
Operator Country --
Operator Zip code --
Operator Code KSAG
Owner has at least one certificate --
Other Operator of large aircraft? --
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Agriculture
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Aerial Application
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code HKA
Departure City Blytheville
Departure State AR
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1310
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code HKA
Destination City --
Destination State AR
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering - aerial application
Report sent to ICAO? No
Evacuation occurred No
Date of most recent change to record Dec 31 2003 3:18PM
User who most recently changed record SULP
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location --
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --