Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
N/A Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Jennings, Louisiana 70546
Friday, February 15, 2013 17:10 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot was conducting aerial application activities to the southeast of the airport. After the pilot finished spraying a field with a radio tower located in the northwest corner, the airplane struck the tower’s guy wires. Although the tower was marked, the guy wires were not nor were they required to be marked. The tower was also depicted on the relevant aeronautical sectional chart. An examination of the airframe, engine, and related systems revealed no malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the reported weather conditions were scattered clouds at 7,000 feet with the sun setting and visibility greater than 10 miles. It is unknown the extent that the clouds may have obscured the guy wires. The setting sun should have been behind the pilot during his pass and therefore not a factor. Based on the available evidence, it is likely the pilot lost track of the tower’s location relative to his and did not notice the guy wires in time to avoid a collision.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot’s inadequate visual lookout, which resulted in a collision with guy wires during an aerial application flight.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/15/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1710 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | Jennings |
| Event State | LOUISIANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 70546 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 301118N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0923756W |
| Event Location Airport | N/A |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | -- |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1715 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 130 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | K3R7 |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 23 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 4 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 7000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 5 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 360 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.11 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR K3R7 152315Z AUTO 36007KT 10SM SCT070 17/05 |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 32347 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 8 2014 8:07AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kaij |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4305D |
| NTSB Number | CEN13LA163 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 137: Agricultural |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PZL MIELEC |
| Aircraft Model | M-18A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1Z022-19 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 11000 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 1 |
| 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 | Oct 11 2012 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 6999 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | RICELAND AVIATION INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | JENNINGS |
| Aircraft Owner State | LA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 70546-0877 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | RICELAND AVIATION INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | JENNINGS |
| Operator State | LA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 70546-0877 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | -- |
| Departure City | Jennings |
| Departure State | LA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1650 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Jennings |
| Destination State | LA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 9 2014 9:40AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kaij |
| 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 | -- |