Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Harrold Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Harrold, South Dakota 57536
Friday, March 6, 2009 11:25 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot stated that he had been established in cruise flight at 4,500 feet mean sea level for the approximately 45-minute cross-country flight. As he neared the destination airport, he descended to about 100 feet above ground level (agl) in order to view some winter wheat fields for the upcoming agricultural spraying season. As he leveled off, he observed increasing fog along his route of flight. He began a 180-degree turn to reverse course and intended to divert to an intermediate airport when the airplane impacted a high-tension power line. The airplane severed one of the lines and subsequently impacted an adjacent farm field. The pilot reported no failures or malfunctions associated with the airplane prior to the collision with the power line. The pilot report weather conditions at the time of the accident as an obscured ceiling about 800 feet agl, with 2 miles visibility in fog. Winds were light and variable, and there was no precipitation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the power lines during his turn to reverse course due to weather. Contributing to the accident was the reduced visibility at the time of the accident.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/6/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1125 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | Harrold |
| Event State | SOUTH DAKOTA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 57536 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 443120N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0994420W |
| Event Location Airport | Harrold |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 5G3 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 20 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 1787 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1048 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 270 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PIR |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1744 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 20 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 1.5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -1 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -2 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 40 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 11 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.97 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| 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) | 25347 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA-AGL ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 16 2009 1:04PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dinc |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N648LA |
| NTSB Number | CEN09CA194 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | AIR TRACTOR INC |
| Aircraft Model | AT-502B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 502B-0649 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 8000 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 18 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 2092 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Custom Air Inc |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Harold |
| Aircraft Owner State | SD |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 57536 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Arthur M. Bollweg |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Harrold |
| Operator State | SD |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 57536 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | Y14 |
| Departure City | Tea |
| Departure State | SD |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1015 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | 5G3 |
| Destination City | Harrold |
| Destination State | SD |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 7 2009 12:37PM |
| User who most recently changed record | sort |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |