You can contribute by submitting additional or updated information.
| Date: | Thursday 8 August 2019 |
| Time: | 07:21 |
| Type: |  Air Tractor AT-502B |
| Owner/operator: | Air Advantage Inc |
| Registration: | N6113C |
| MSN: | 502B-0275 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1994 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 10605 hours |
| Engine model: | Pratt & Whitney PT6A-34AG |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Sumner, IA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Ferry/positioning |
| Departure airport: | Mount Pleasant Municipal Airport, IA (MPZ/KMPZ) |
| Oelwein Municipal Airport, IA (KOLZ) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On August 8, 2019, at 0721 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-502B, N6113C, impacted power lines, a power line support pole, a tree and terrain near Sumner, Iowa. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a postimpact fire. The airplane was registered to Air Advantage Inc., Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, and operated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a positioning flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight was not operated on flight plan. The flight originated from the Mt. Pleasant Municipal Airport (MPZ), Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, about 0615 and was destined for the Oelwein Municipal Airport (OLZ), Oelwein, Iowa.
The pilot overflew the intended destination airport and continued about 14 miles north before turning to the south. Witnesses located about 2-1/2 miles north of the accident site reported observing the airplane overfly their homes at a low altitude. One witness noted that the airplane appeared to be in level flight, and the engine seemed to be operating normally.
A witness near the accident site observed the airplane approach from the west-northwest. The airplane struck power lines; however, the airplane's flightpath was not affected. The airplane then nearly struck a building before it struck a second set of power lines. It then veered left, and the nose dropped. The airplane subsequently impacted a road, skidded across the road, and impacted the ground near a large tree. A postimpact fire ensued. According to witnesses, there was nothing unusual about the airplane before the initial wire strike. The airplane seemed to be intact, and the engine sounded normal. The airplane remained in a shallow left turn as it struck the power lines and did not appear to be climbing or descending.
A postaccident airframe examination did not reveal any evidence of an in-flight structural failure or flight control system anomaly. An engine examination revealed circumferential contact marks throughout the engine consistent with rotation at impact. No anomalies consistent with a preimpact failure or malfunction were observed.
Review of the pilot's medical records, toxicology testing, and autopsy results revealed that he was at significant risk of impairment from multiple serious medical conditions and the use of multiple potentially impairing medications. The pilot had heart disease, a subarachnoid hemorrhage that appeared to be several days old, chronic kidney disease treated with dialysis, poorly controlled diabetes, hypertension, chronic pain, and anxiety. In addition, the pilot was taking hydrocodone, fentanyl, trazodone, and yohimbine, any of which had the potential to be impairing.
Further, the investigation revealed that the pilot was involved in another wire strike event 8 days before the accident. Witnesses noted that after that wire strike, the pilot seemed shaken, and he was heard coughing and vomiting several days later. The timing of the pilot's subarachnoid hemorrhage suggests that it may have resulted from this previous wire strike event. Although additional details about the events surrounding the wire strike are not known, the wire strike event itself suggests a possibility of some manifestation of pilot impairment that began before the accident flight.
While it could not be determined which specific medical factor or factors played a role in this accident, it is likely that one or more of the pilot's multiple medical conditions, medications, or the previous wire strike impaired his performance during the accident flight, as evidenced by his overflight of the intended destination airport and his continued low altitude flight in the vicinity of power lines and buildings without a change in flightpath or any apparent effort to avoid them.
Probable Cause: The pilot's impairment by medical conditions and/or medications, which resulted in the airplane's impact with power lines and terrain.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB CEN19FA259
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 15 July 2013 | N6113C | Air Advantage Inc. | 0 | Nauvoo, Illinois | |
sub |
Location
Images:
Photo: NTSB
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 08-Aug-2019 14:06 | Geno | Added |
| 08-Aug-2019 14:19 | RobertMB | Updated [Total fatalities, Location, Damage, Narrative, ] |
| 08-Aug-2019 19:57 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Source, Embed code, ] |
| 08-Aug-2019 19:57 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Aircraft type, Embed code, ] |
| 09-Aug-2019 00:35 | RobertMB | Updated [Time, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 09-Aug-2019 13:59 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Source, Embed code, Narrative, ] |
| 09-Aug-2019 14:15 | RobertMB | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Narrative, ] |
| 16-Aug-2019 01:52 | Captain Adam | Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative, ] |
| 08-Jul-2022 12:22 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Category, Accident report, ] |
| 01-Jan-2025 20:34 | Captain Adam | Updated [Time, Location, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Photo, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2025 Flight Safety Foundation