Wire-Strikes in Agricultural Operations: A Focus Group Study
Agricultural aircraft operations involve the operation of an aircraft regulated under 14 Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) Part 137 to dispense fertilizer, seeds, and crop protection products to affect agricultural outcomes directly (see Agricultural Aircraft Operations, 14 C.F.R. § 137.3). These single-pilot operations are associated with a number of unique hazards and challenges relevant to this report such as maintaining awareness of obstacles associated with flight at very low altitudes or unfamiliar territory. This report describes a focus group study with 22 agricultural operations pilots who collided with a Guy Wire during a routine flight. Researchers transcribed narratives from pilots who volunteered to participate in a focus group during the 2022 Ag Aviation Expo annual convention hosted by the National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA). The researchers then analyzed the transcripts using a human factors framework. Notably, the results found that “trim passes” were a key stage of flight during their wire-strike events. Cognitive risk factors that may have affected their performance include situational awareness, decision-making choices, and pressure to perform (internal or external). Participants suggested that better reconnaissance passes would have alerted them to a wire they previously did not know was there or would have made them more confident overall that they were aware of all obstacles while flying passes in the field (i.e., thus minimizing that distraction). Other possible prevention strategies included not spraying the field in the first place due to safety risks, paying better attention to where they were in the field at the time of the collision, and avoiding deviating from the plan and breaking personal rules for flying. Many participants repeated the ideas of focusing on each trim pass and staying present in the moment as well as minimizing distractions.