ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 76632
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Tuesday 31 August 2010 |
| Time: | 04:30 |
| Type: |  Ayres S-2R-G10 Turbo Thrush |
| Owner/operator: | Morris Equipment |
| Registration: | N6125X |
| MSN: | G10-105 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 4970 hours |
| Engine model: | Airesearch TPE-331 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Wellton, 29 miles east of Yuma, AZ -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Agricultural |
| Departure airport: | Yuma, AZ |
| Yuma, AZ | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
According to the owner of the aerial application company, the single engine airplane was loaded with 430 gallons (approx 3440 lbs) of liquid insecticide for its mission. The airplane departed from a satellite airstrip about 0400 mountain standard time (MST), in order to spray an agricultural field located approximately 5 miles east of the airstrip. When the airplane failed to return to the airstrip at the expected time, the loader became concerned. He telephoned the owner, and the owner initiated a search for the airplane. About 0545, the wreckage was located, approximately 125 feet above, and 1/2 mile to the west of, the field being sprayed, on rocky, rising terrain. Examination by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that airplane struck the terrain in a relatively level attitude, while on an approximate track of northwest, and came to rest facing southwest. The commercial pilot stated that he completed several passes on the field, and was maneuvering the airplane for another pass, when the wind shifted. The airplane was unable to out climb, and subsequently impacted, the terrain. The pilot sustained serious injuries. The pilot reported that he had about 28,500 total hours of flight experience, including 1,388 hours in the accident airplane make and model, and he had been conducting agricultural spraying in the area for the previous 4 months. When asked by the FAA inspector, the pilot stated that if he could change anything about the flight, he would have applied the agent on north-south tracks instead of east-west tracks, in order to provide more clearance from the rising terrain to the west. US Naval Observatory data indicated that local sunrise was about 0612 MST. The automated weather observation at an airport located approximately 20 miles west of the accident site included winds from 020 degrees at 3 knots; visibility 10 miles; clear skies; temperature 24 degrees C; and a dew point of 12 degrees C.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from rising terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to orient the application tracks so that they did not provide the maximum possible clearance from the rising terrain, and, the predawn lighting conditions.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 01-Sep-2010 14:00 | Geno | Added |
| 02-Sep-2010 02:05 | jorgetadeu7 | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Country, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 20-Jan-2016 20:26 | Anon. | Updated [Damage, Narrative] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:25 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 26-Nov-2017 18:04 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
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:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation