Primary finding
Probable cause
failure of the pilot to maintain clearance from a guy wire, during a swath run.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
According to the pilot, he finished spraying a 110 acre milo field with 'no problems.' The pilot reported that he was 'on the last pass which was along some highlines when the airplane's left wing struck a guy wire cutting off the outer 4 feet of the left wing.' He said that the airplane rolled left and struck the ground, coming to rest on the gear 'right side up.'
Source record
Factual narrative
On June 30, 1997, at 0930 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-301 agricultural airplane, N4396S, was substantially damaged when it struck a guy wire and subsequently impacted the ground while maneuvering near Edna, Texas. The commercial pilot, sole occupant in the airplane, was not injured. The airplane was registered to a private individual and operated by the White Flying Service of La Ward, Texas, under Title 14 CFR Part 137. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the aerial application flight which had originated approximately 35 minutes before the accident. No flight plan had been filed for the flight. According to the pilot, he was finishing spraying a 110 acre milo field with "no problems." The pilot reported that he was "on the last pass which was along some high lines when the airplane's left wing struck a guy wire cutting off the outer 4 feet of the left wing." He said that the airplane rolled left and struck the ground coming to rest on the gear "right side up." -