What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Public use state flight lost control maneuvering over city. Collided with terrain. (-23) departed from huron airport at 0630 CDT. Flying at 75 feet AGL. Observed coyote. Made climbing left turn. Told gunner to shoot. At 65MPH and in slight left turn, stick went limp at approximately 100 feet AGL. One notch flaps. Lowered nose to recover. Unable to complete recovery due to terrain. Upon contact with the ground, landing gear separated. Aircraft came to rest inverted. No injuries to crew and substantial damage to aircraft. Aircraft and flight operations were conducted under public use purporse's only. (.4)purpose of the flight was predator (coyote) control for the state of south dakota department of game, fish, and parks. The pilot and a gunner were attempting to chase a coyote out of a 'slew' into an alfalfa field when the accident occurred. The pilot reported they were in a left, slightly descending turn at an altitude of 150 feet above the ground when the stick went 'limp.' The pilot reported he added full power, leveled the wings, and applied forward stick pressure in an attempt to regain lift. The airplane continued to descend and it impacted the edge of the alfalfa field in a wings level attitude. Upon impact the main landing gear separated form the airplane and the airplane slid approximately 60 feet prior to nosing over.
As the FAA filed it
PUBLIC USE STATE FLIGHT LOST CONTROL MANEUVERING OVER CITY. COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN. (-23) DEPARTED FROM HURON AIRPORT AT 0630 CDT. FLYING AT 75 FEET AGL. OBSERVED COYOTE. MADE CLIMBING LEFT TURN. TOLD GUNNER TO SHOOT. AT 65MPH AND IN SLIGHT LEFT TURN, STICK WENT LIMP AT APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET AGL. ONE NOTCH FLAPS. LOWERED NOSE TO RECOVER. UNABLE TO COMPLETE RECOVERY DUE TO TERRAIN. UPON CONTACT WITH THE GROUND, LANDING GEAR SEPARATED. AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST INVERTED. NO INJURIES TO CREW AND SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT. AIRCRAFT AND FLIGHT OPERATIONS WERE CONDUCTED UNDER PUBLIC USE PURPORSE'S ONLY. (.4)PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS PREDATOR (COYOTE) CONTROL FOR THE STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF GAME, FISH, AND PARKS. THE PILOT AND A GUNNER WERE ATTEMPTING TO CHASE A COYOTE OUT OF A 'SLEW' INTO AN ALFALFA FIELD WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE PILOT REPORTED THEY WERE IN A LEFT, SLIGHTLY DESCENDING TURN AT AN ALTITUDE OF 150 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND WHEN THE STICK WENT 'LIMP.' THE PILOT REPORTED HE ADDED FULL POWER, LEVELED THE WINGS, AND APPLIED FORWARD STICK PRESSURE IN AN ATTEMPT TO REGAIN LIFT. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO DESCEND AND IT IMPACTED THE EDGE OF THE ALFALFA FIELD IN A WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE. UPON IMPACT THE MAIN LANDING GEAR SEPARATED FORM THE AIRPLANE AND THE AIRPLANE SLID APPROXIMATELY 60 FEET PRIOR TO NOSING OVER.
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 N83679 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.