What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft experienced control lock in a turn and spun into a lake. (-23) on July 1, 1997, at approximately 1218 CDT, an air tractor AT-502, N7314C, registered to hartley flying service, inc., crashed into a reservoir during a turn while performing a 14 CFR 137 spraying operation. No flight plans are filed for agriculture operations. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The aircraft was destroyed. No fire damage. The pilot sustained serious injuries and is a certificated commercial pilot. The flight originated at a farm strip near Almyra, AR. Due to information in the pilot's report to the NTSB, indicating that while the flaps were lowered for a turning maneuver, there was a binding of the aileron controls which resulted in loss of directional control of the aircraft. The flap actuator and microswitches were removed from the accident aircraft and forwarded to the NTSB. The aircraft manufacturer has written a revised service letter to remedy this problem. This manufacturer is writing service letter to prevent interference of flap push rod to the main aileron push tube. This service letter will become a provision for performing maintenance when an airworthin ess directive is initiated.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED CONTROL LOCK IN A TURN AND SPUN INTO A LAKE. (-23) ON JULY 1, 1997, AT APPROXIMATELY 1218 CDT, AN AIR TRACTOR AT-502, N7314C, REGISTERED TO HARTLEY FLYING SERVICE, INC., CRASHED INTO A RESERVOIR DURING A TURN WHILE PERFORMING A 14 CFR 137 SPRAYING OPERATION. NO FLIGHT PLANS ARE FILED FOR AGRICULTURE OPERATIONS. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. NO FIRE DAMAGE. THE PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES AND IS A CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT A FARM STRIP NEAR ALMYRA, AR. DUE TO INFORMATION IN THE PILOT'S REPORT TO THE NTSB, INDICATING THAT WHILE THE FLAPS WERE LOWERED FOR A TURNING MANEUVER, THERE WAS A BINDING OF THE AILERON CONTROLS WHICH RESULTED IN LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE FLAP ACTUATOR AND MICROSWITCHES WERE REMOVED FROM THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT AND FORWARDED TO THE NTSB. THE AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURER HAS WRITTEN A REVISED SERVICE LETTER TO REMEDY THIS PROBLEM. THIS MANUFACTURER IS WRITING SERVICE LETTER TO PREVENT INTERFERENCE OF FLAP PUSH ROD TO THE MAIN AILERON PUSH TUBE. THIS SERVICE LETTER WILL BECOME A PROVISION FOR PERFORMING MAINTENANCE WHEN AN AIRWORTHIN ESS DIRECTIVE IS INITIATED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.