Air Tractor Inc AT-602 N628JP accident near Udall, Kansas

Probable cause

The pilot's inadequate flight planning, which resulted in a wire strike.

NTSB analysis

The pilot of an aerial application flight reported that he arrived at the field and conducted three surveillance orbits to check for obstacles and wires. The pilot flew five spraying passes over the field, but on the sixth pass, the airplane’s propeller and landing gear struck a powerline. The airplane started vibrating severely, and the pilot executed a forced landing to a nearby field. During the landing roll, the left wing struck a large bush that turned the airplane sideways as it skidded to a stop, which resulted in substantial damage to the wing. The pole associated with the powerline that was struck was located in the tree line, and the pilot did not see the low hanging powerline that ran at an angle across the field. He did not have a map of the field, and he was not informed about the low hanging powerline.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN13LA263 for the full record.