La Feria, TX, USA
N9492R
Snow S2C
Upon completion of an aerial application pass on a cotton field, the 10,000-hour pilot initiated a turn to reverse direction to the cotton field for another run. Subsequently, the spray boom on the bottom of the right wing impacted a pipe stand that was hidden by vegetation and tall grass.
On June 5, 2004, approximately 1015 central daylight time, a Snow S2C single-engine agricultural airplane, N9492R, was substantially damaged while maneuvering following an in-flight collision with an object during an aerial application on a field near La Feria, Texas. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot. The commercial pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight. The local flight originated from the pilot's private airstrip, near Blue Town, Texas, at an unknown time. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, who responded to the site of the accident, the pilot had completed an aerial application pass on a cotton field, and initiated a turn to reverse direction to commence another spray run. Subsequently, the spray boom on the bottom of the right wing impacted a pipe stand that was hidden by vegetation and tall grass. The collision "flipped the aircraft around" and it came to rest in an upright position. The commercial pilot reported to the FAA inspector that he had accumulated a total of 10,000 hours, of which approximately 1,000 hours were in the accident aircraft make and model. A completed Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2) was not received from the pilot or operator.
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the obstacle while maneuvering to perform an aerial application. A contributing factor was the high vegetation.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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