What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft N40126 was flying ten miles north of firebaugh, CA, approximately three miles north of highway thirty-three, one half mile north of valeria avenure and one mile west of jerold avenue. Flying in a easterly direction, the aircraft made a reconnaissance of a field that was to be sprayed. Paralleling it slightly to the north, the aircraft made a one hundred eighty degree turn. Flying in a westerly direction in level flight, the pilot observed a bright flash on the windshield. The aircrafat made a climb to one hundred feet, then turned left to the south. The aircraft engine performance began to deterioate rapidly and could not maintain safe flight. The aircraft made a right turn in a west north west direction, into the prevailing winds. The aircraft made an approach into a dense growth cotton field, initial touch down to full stop, traveled approximately two hundred feet. Damage tothe aircraft was minimal. The prop sustained substantial damage, and internal damage to the engine is undetermined.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT N40126 WAS FLYING TEN MILES NORTH OF FIREBAUGH, CA, APPROXIMATELY THREE MILES NORTH OF HIGHWAY THIRTY-THREE, ONE HALF MILE NORTH OF VALERIA AVENURE AND ONE MILE WEST OF JEROLD AVENUE. FLYING IN A EASTERLY DIRECTION, THE AIRCRAFT MADE A RECONNAISSANCE OF A FIELD THAT WAS TO BE SPRAYED. PARALLELING IT SLIGHTLY TO THE NORTH, THE AIRCRAFT MADE A ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY DEGREE TURN. FLYING IN A WESTERLY DIRECTION IN LEVEL FLIGHT, THE PILOT OBSERVED A BRIGHT FLASH ON THE WINDSHIELD. THE AIRCRAFAT MADE A CLIMB TO ONE HUNDRED FEET, THEN TURNED LEFT TO THE SOUTH. THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE PERFORMANCE BEGAN TO DETERIOATE RAPIDLY AND COULD NOT MAINTAIN SAFE FLIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT MADE A RIGHT TURN IN A WEST NORTH WEST DIRECTION, INTO THE PREVAILING WINDS. THE AIRCRAFT MADE AN APPROACH INTO A DENSE GROWTH COTTON FIELD, INITIAL TOUCH DOWN TO FULL STOP, TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY TWO HUNDRED FEET. DAMAGE TOTHE AIRCRAFT WAS MINIMAL. THE PROP SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, AND INTERNAL DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE IS UNDETERMINED.
Other reports on N40126 · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.