What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed during aerial application, pilot suffered fatal inj, acft has subst damage. (-23) at approximately 8:15 am on the morning of June 18, 1998, an Ayres thrush, S2R owned by ned r. brown, and suspected of being operated by me ned brown while doing aerial application approximately 5 miles north of wabbaseka, AR crashed into a heavily wooded area and sustained fatal injuries, fire was involved. Location of accident: the accident occurred on the circle t. ranch, a privately owned duck hunting club. The club is owned by charles & elizabeth smith of memphis, TN. (.4)the agricultural aircraft impacted trees while applying fertilizer to a rice field. A person about a mile from the field where the pilot was working, heard the airplane as it worked the field. About 3 or 4 minutes after he heard the airplane's engine 'quit,' and he saw smoke. Continuity was established to all flight control surfaces, and both propeller blades exhibited signatures of engine power. The pilot had reported not feeling good and planned to go home after the next flight. Although the autopsy of the pilot noted severe coronary disease, there were no areas of complete blockage of the coronary arteries, and there was no evidence of an old or recent myocardial infarction (heart attack) identified. The pilot was being treated for high blood pressure with two medicines: sural (nisoldipine) and levatol (penbutolol). Nisoldipine and penbutolol are prescription medications prescribed for patients with high blood pressure. Possible side effects include low blood pressure and slowed heart rate. Also, it was possible that the pilot's medications in combination with his existing cardiac disease could have significantly reduced his tolerance to repeated g-exposure.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED DURING AERIAL APPLICATION, PILOT SUFFERED FATAL INJ, ACFT HAS SUBST DAMAGE. (-23) AT APPROXIMATELY 8:15 AM ON THE MORNING OF JUNE 18, 1998, AN AYRES THRUSH, S2R OWNED BY NED R. BROWN, AND SUSPECTED OF BEING OPERATED BY ME NED BROWN WHILE DOING AERIAL APPLICATION APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES NORTH OF WABBASEKA, AR CRASHED INTO A HEAVILY WOODED AREA AND SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES, FIRE WAS INVOLVED. LOCATION OF ACCIDENT: THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED ON THE CIRCLE T. RANCH, A PRIVATELY OWNED DUCK HUNTING CLUB. THE CLUB IS OWNED BY CHARLES & ELIZABETH SMITH OF MEMPHIS, TN. (.4)THE AGRICULTURAL AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TREES WHILE APPLYING FERTILIZER TO A RICE FIELD. A PERSON ABOUT A MILE FROM THE FIELD WHERE THE PILOT WAS WORKING, HEARD THE AIRPLANE AS IT WORKED THE FIELD. ABOUT 3 OR 4 MINUTES AFTER HE HEARD THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE 'QUIT,' AND HE SAW SMOKE. CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED TO ALL FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACES, AND BOTH PROPELLER BLADES EXHIBITED SIGNATURES OF ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT HAD REPORTED NOT FEELING GOOD AND PLANNED TO GO HOME AFTER THE NEXT FLIGHT. ALTHOUGH THE AUTOPSY OF THE PILOT NOTED SEVERE CORONARY DISEASE, THERE WERE NO AREAS OF COMPLETE BLOCKAGE OF THE CORONARY ARTERIES, AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF AN OLD OR RECENT MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION (HEART ATTACK) IDENTIFIED. THE PILOT WAS BEING TREATED FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE WITH TWO MEDICINES: SURAL (NISOLDIPINE) AND LEVATOL (PENBUTOLOL). NISOLDIPINE AND PENBUTOLOL ARE PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS PRESCRIBED FOR PATIENTS WITH HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE. POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS INCLUDE LOW BLOOD PRESSURE AND SLOWED HEART RATE. ALSO, IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT THE PILOT'S MEDICATIONS IN COMBINATION WITH HIS EXISTING CARDIAC DISEASE COULD HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED HIS TOLERANCE TO REPEATED G-EXPOSURE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.