What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Stalled entering base to land at ag strip. Found elevator controls failed from corrosion. Strut attach brackets gone (-23) on July 2, 1996, at approximately 10:30 am CDT, an air tractor model AT-400, N501JS, registered to and operated by homer youngblood d/b/a associated aerial applicators of dayton, Texas, as an FAR part 137 aerial applicator under certificate number AAAG001C; impacted the terrain following a loss of control near huffman, Texas. Mr. Homer a. youngblood, commercial pilot certificate number 464138, received fatal injuries and air tractor N501JS was destroyed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed. According to witnesses, Mr. Youngblood was spraying rice fields with fertilizer. After completing a spray run, N501JS entered a righ base turn to final for landing on a dirt strip to the north. During the turn the left wing dropped followed by the nose, then N501JS impacted the ground. The aircraft engine was developing power prior to impact. Inspection of the maintenance record for N501JS revealed that an annual inspection had not been signed off within the preceding 12 months. Inspection of N501JS reve aled large amounts of corrosion around the elevator with a possible elevator separation. The medical examiner did not find any evidence of pilot incapacitation. Mr. Youngblood did not keep a pilot logbook.
As the FAA filed it
STALLED ENTERING BASE TO LAND AT AG STRIP. FOUND ELEVATOR CONTROLS FAILED FROM CORROSION.STRUT ATTACH BRACKETS GONE (-23) ON JULY 2, 1996, AT APPROXIMATELY 10:30 AM CDT, AN AIR TRACTOR MODEL AT-400, N501JS, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY HOMER YOUNGBLOOD D/B/A ASSOCIATED AERIAL APPLICATORS OF DAYTON, TEXAS, AS AN FAR PART 137 AERIAL APPLICATOR UNDER CERTIFICATE NUMBER AAAG001C; IMPACTED THE TERRAIN FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL NEAR HUFFMAN, TEXAS. MR. HOMER A. YOUNGBLOOD, COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE NUMBER 464138, RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES AND AIR TRACTOR N501JS WAS DESTROYED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, MR. YOUNGBLOOD WAS SPRAYING RICE FIELDS WITH FERTILIZER. AFTER COMPLETING A SPRAY RUN, N501JS ENTERED A RIGH BASE TURN TO FINAL FOR LANDING ON A DIRT STRIP TO THE NORTH. DURING THE TURN THE LEFT WING DROPPED FOLLOWED BY THE NOSE, THEN N501JS IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE WAS DEVELOPING POWER PRIOR TO IMPACT. INSPECTION OF THE MAINTENANCE RECORD FOR N501JS REVEALED THAT AN ANNUAL INSPECTION HAD NOT BEEN SIGNED OFF WITHIN THE PRECEDING 12 MONTHS. INSPECTION OF N501JS REVE ALED LARGE AMOUNTS OF CORROSION AROUND THE ELEVATOR WITH A POSSIBLE ELEVATOR SEPARATION. THE MEDICAL EXAMINER DID NOT FIND ANY EVIDENCE OF PILOT INCAPACITATION. MR. YOUNGBLOOD DID NOT KEEP A PILOT LOGBOOK.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N501JS · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.