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Crop duster pilot spraying field hits powerline across field when his attention was diverted to looking at the quality of his spray swath.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 145135 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199005 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : fnb |
| State Reference | NE |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 2 agl bound upper : 2 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft |
| Flight Phase | other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 3 flight time total : 8600 flight time type : 3400 |
| ASRS Report | 145135 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action none taken : unable none taken : insufficient time |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Departed fnb for spray system calibration and spray pattern check with water. Flew northeast to property where I live. Circled area and checked for obstructions. On third spray pass struck pwrline. Pwrline runs through field to house. On first and second pass had cleared line. On third pass I let my attention be diverted too long looking aft checking quality of spray pattern. When I returned my visibility scan forward I immediately realized I was closer to pwrline than I thought. Initiated altitude increase, but was too close and hit line with landing gear. Saw line break and from what I could see from cockpit I had surface damage to rudder. Returned directly to fnb. Normal approach and landing. Notified power company of damage to pwrline. I let my attention be diverted too long with a system check. Fly the airplane first.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CROP DUSTER PLT SPRAYING FIELD HITS POWERLINE ACROSS FIELD WHEN HIS ATTENTION WAS DIVERTED TO LOOKING AT THE QUALITY OF HIS SPRAY SWATH.
Narrative: DEPARTED FNB FOR SPRAY SYS CALIBRATION AND SPRAY PATTERN CHK WITH WATER. FLEW NE TO PROPERTY WHERE I LIVE. CIRCLED AREA AND CHKED FOR OBSTRUCTIONS. ON THIRD SPRAY PASS STRUCK PWRLINE. PWRLINE RUNS THROUGH FIELD TO HOUSE. ON FIRST AND SECOND PASS HAD CLRED LINE. ON THIRD PASS I LET MY ATTN BE DIVERTED TOO LONG LOOKING AFT CHKING QUALITY OF SPRAY PATTERN. WHEN I RETURNED MY VIS SCAN FORWARD I IMMEDIATELY REALIZED I WAS CLOSER TO PWRLINE THAN I THOUGHT. INITIATED ALT INCREASE, BUT WAS TOO CLOSE AND HIT LINE WITH LNDG GEAR. SAW LINE BREAK AND FROM WHAT I COULD SEE FROM COCKPIT I HAD SURFACE DAMAGE TO RUDDER. RETURNED DIRECTLY TO FNB. NORMAL APCH AND LNDG. NOTIFIED PWR COMPANY OF DAMAGE TO PWRLINE. I LET MY ATTN BE DIVERTED TOO LONG WITH A SYS CHK. FLY THE AIRPLANE FIRST.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.