Darwin just missed this guy

[hyper]

IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 23736 Make/Model: AT3P Description: AT-300/301/401
Date: 09/14/2002 Time: 1800

Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Minor Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
City: ALTUS State: OK Country: US

DESCRIPTION
ACFT LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED INTO WHEAT FIELD WHILE ATTEMPTING TO FLY
UNDER POWERLINES, RUDDER CAUGHT BOTTOM WIRE AND TORE OFF STABILIZER, ALTUS,
OK

INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 0
# Crew: 1 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 1 Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:

WEATHER: HBR METAR 141753Z AUTO VRB03KT 10SM FEW018 24/19 A2999

OTHER DATA
Activity: Aerial Application Phase: Maneuver Operation: General Aviation

Departed: OLUSTEE, OK Dep Date: 09/14/2002 Dep. Time: 1700
Destination: OLUSTEE, OK Flt Plan: NONE Wx Briefing: N
Last Radio Cont: NONE
Last Clearance: NONE

FAA FSDO: OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (SW15) Entry date: 09/16/2002

 

[enigma]

I've never done any application, but I would assume that it could be somewhat normal for an AirTractor to try and fly under wires. I imagine that someone more knowledgable will clear it up.

regards,
8N

 

[sydeseet]

Let us not be quick to judge. Crop duster pilots have my complete respect as I'm glad someone else does it. If this was a 152 doing turns-about-a-point it'd be a completely different matter..........

 

[cptbarney]

just another day

That's part of a normal day for those guys. they typically fly at night or early mornings fly under wires all kinds of fun stuff. i guy i worked with hit lines and said the biggest problem was people were pissed because they had no power he didn't even stop spraying when he did it. this guy wasn't as lucky i guess.

 

[hyper]

I too have all the respect for these guys and I certainly retract my statement if this is normal procedure. I do, however, find it hard to believe that it is legal (or smart) for them to fly under powerlines. Do they have a special set of regs that I am not aware of?

 

[avbug]

Hyper,

Flying under powerlines isn't something one sets out to do when one enters the field, as a rule. However, if on arrival at the power lines, the airplane won't climb, the safest proceedure in some cases is to go under them. It's either that, or through them.

I have my own share of passes beneath power lines, and plenty adjacent to them. Many of those passes in formation.

It's nothing to do with Darwin. It's everything to do with earning a living in an Air Tractor, as did the subject of your origional post.

Do you know of a special regulation that prohibits flight beneath powerlines? You certainly won't find it under Part 137, which governs agricultural operations. You won't find it in Part 91, either. The closest you might come is 91.13, Careless and Reckless Operation. If one elected to apply this clause, one might elect to apply in error to all agricultural operations.

The only way to approach this is to decide which is better: striking the powerlines, or going underneath them. Even without an ag background, most folks will quickly see that going beneath them is far more preferable to striking powerlines. I've seen the results up close and personal...and it isn't pretty.

 

[Typhoon1244]

The ag guys have a filthy, thankless job. Their accident rate is sky-high...and it has nothing to do with their skills or their judgement. It's because they work full-time in the most dangerous regime an airplane can be in, low and slow.

I'd be more surprised by an ag pilot who's never flown under some wires. Darwin's got nothing to do with it.

Now if it'd been, say, a Northwest A320 that went under powerlines, that'd be a different story.

 

[hyper]

OK guys, thanks I stand corrected. Geez. I'll keep my trap shut from now on. My apologies "being out of line".

P.S. Avbug, no offense, but is their anything you haven't done or seen?

 

[flywithastick]

had an Air Tractor load at our little grass field for a job the other day. hadn't seen one up close. that's a big plane. But they just don't sound as good as the old Ag Cats!

 

[H2OK9]

ok, not ragging you but My uncle was a crop sprayer for 30 years, used to fly a pawnee under lines all the time, its the only way to spray some fields (spray pattern/wind direction) anyway so he goes out and buys a weatherly, (about as big as an ag tractor only with a round engine) so he's out spraying the same fields that he's been in for years and the neighbors complain that they lost there power, his response was, "sorry, I guess the tail on this thing is a little higher than the pawnee." Those guys are the cockjocks, they fly by the feel of the aircraft. hats off to them.