What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed under unkn circumstances, pilot suffered fatal inj, acft was destroyed, Hondo, TX. (.4) the agricultural airplane stalled during the turn from base to final while landing on runway 04. A witness reported hearing 'the sound of the engine power being applied as the pilot attempted to recover from the stall.' The airplane impacted in a potato field in a nose low attitude, in a nearly wings level attitude, at a high rate of decent, coming to rest in a westerly heading, in the upright position. Examination of the airplane revealed that the forward section of the fuselage was severely compressed. The winds at the time of the accident were reported from 040 degrees at 13 knots, gusting to 20 knots. A pilot home-based at the airport reported that on the day of the accident he had experienced 'noticeable wind shear in the area throughout' on the day of the accident. The pilot added that his employer elected to discontinue flight testing of the unmanned vehicle they were testing earlier that day due to an approaching front and the unstable air. A transient pilot that flew a Piper cherokee into the airport about an hour prior to the accident, also reported 'wind induced turbulen ce while on his approach when within 500 feet of the ground.' (-23) on June 5, 1998, an aero commander (AY-S2R) agricultural airplane, N1765S, owned by rusty's flying service and operated by bev russell lindeman was destroyed upon impact with terrain during an approach to the Hondo airport at Hondo, Texas. The non-instrument rated commercial pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the aerial application flight. No flight plan was filed. There was no fire and only minimum damage to the potato field, but the aircraft was destroyed. Witnesses reported that the airplane "stalled during a turn" to runway 04. The airplane impacted the ground in a nose low attitude with the wings nearly level. The aircraft at impact was traveling at a high rate of descent. The airplane from the instrument panel to the rear of the engine was severely compromised. The winds at the time of the accident were reported from 040 degrees at 13 knots, with occasional gusts to 20 knots. Mr. John quilling, a chase plane pilot for alliant technology, stated that he had experienced noticeable wind shear in the area throughout the day before the accident. He further stated that alliant technology discontinuted flight testing of the unmanned vehicle they were testing early that day due to an approaching front and unstable air. This office considers this accident closed.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKN CIRCUMSTANCES, PILOT SUFFERED FATAL INJ, ACFT WAS DESTROYED, HONDO, TX. (.4) THE AGRICULTURAL AIRPLANE STALLED DURING THE TURN FROM BASE TO FINAL WHILE LANDING ON RUNWAY 04. A WITNESS REPORTED HEARING 'THE SOUND OF THE ENGINE POWER BEING APPLIED AS THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RECOVER FROM THE STALL.' THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED IN A POTATO FIELD IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE, IN A NEARLY WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE, AT A HIGH RATE OF DECENT, COMING TO REST IN A WESTERLY HEADING, IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT THE FORWARD SECTION OF THE FUSELAGE WAS SEVERELY COMPRESSED. THE WINDS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE REPORTED FROM 040 DEGREES AT 13 KNOTS, GUSTING TO 20 KNOTS. A PILOT HOME-BASED AT THE AIRPORT REPORTED THAT ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT HE HAD EXPERIENCED 'NOTICEABLE WIND SHEAR IN THE AREA THROUGHOUT' ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT ADDED THAT HIS EMPLOYER ELECTED TO DISCONTINUE FLIGHT TESTING OF THE UNMANNED VEHICLE THEY WERE TESTING EARLIER THAT DAY DUE TO AN APPROACHING FRONT AND THE UNSTABLE AIR. A TRANSIENT PILOT THAT FLEW A PIPER CHEROKEE INTO THE AIRPORT ABOUT AN HOUR PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, ALSO REPORTED 'WIND INDUCED TURBULEN CE WHILE ON HIS APPROACH WHEN WITHIN 500 FEET OF THE GROUND.' (-23) ON JUNE 5, 1998, AN AERO COMMANDER (AY-S2R) AGRICULTURAL AIRPLANE, N1765S, OWNED BY RUSTY'S FLYING SERVICE AND OPERATED BY BEV RUSSELL LINDEMAN WAS DESTROYED UPON IMPACT WITH TERRAIN DURING AN APPROACH TO THE HONDO AIRPORT AT HONDO, TEXAS. THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THERE WAS NO FIRE AND ONLY MINIMUM DAMAGE TO THE POTATO FIELD, BUT THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE "STALLED DURING A TURN" TO RUNWAY 04. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE WITH THE WINGS NEARLY LEVEL. THE AIRCRAFT AT IMPACT WAS TRAVELING AT A HIGH RATE OF DESCENT. THE AIRPLANE FROM THE INSTRUMENT PANEL TO THE REAR OF THE ENGINE WAS SEVERELY COMPROMISED. THE WINDS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE REPORTED FROM 040 DEGREES AT 13 KNOTS, WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO 20 KNOTS. MR. JOHN QUILLING, A CHASE PLANE PILOT FOR ALLIANT TECHNOLOGY, STATED THAT HE HAD EXPERIENCED NOTICEABLE WIND SHEAR IN THE AREA THROUGHOUT THE DAY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. HE FURTHER STATED THAT ALLIANT TECHNOLOGY DISCONTINUTED FLIGHT TESTING OF THE UNMANNED VEHICLE THEY WERE TESTING EARLY THAT DAY DUE TO AN APPROACHING FRONT AND UNSTABLE AIR. THIS OFFICE CONSIDERS THIS ACCIDENT CLOSED.
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 N1765S · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.