What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Department of wildlife public use acft was shooting coyotes for population control when it went to check out a kill. Encountered a pocket of air or a downdraft, and struck the ground. Other circumstances are unknown. (.19) on February 19, 1999, about 0930 hours pacific standard time, a christen A-1, N2UJ, sustained substantial damage when it collided with terrain 20 miles northwest of Battle Mountain, Nevada. The commercial pilot and one observer were not injured. The public-use aircraft was operated under 14 CFR part 91 on contract to the united states department of agriculture for pest control. The aircraft had departed Battle Mountain about 0700 and was maneuvering at low altitude when a localized wind condition forced it into contact with the ground. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The pilot stated to a federal aviation inspector that he is contracted by the department of agriculture to eradicate coyotes. He patrols an area and upon sighting a coyote he maneuvers the aircraft into position for his observer to shoot the animal. While maneuvering above the desert floor he encountered what he described as a "dust devil." The swirling wind and turbulence caused him to lose altitude and his left wing tip struck the ground. The left wing was crushed and the right wing was wrinkled. The propeller was bent and the cowling was damaged. The landing gear was bent and twisted, and the gear attach points inside the fuselage were buckled. (From .4) on February 19, 1999, about 0900 hours pacific standard time, a christen A-1, N2UJ, sustained substantial damage when it collided with terrain 20 miles northwest of Battle Mountain, Nevada. The commercial pilot/owner and one observer were not injured. The public-use aircraft was operated under 14 CFR part 91 on contract to the united states department of agriculture for pest control. The aircraft departed Battle Mountain about 0700. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The pilot stated that he was contracted by the department of agriculture to eradicate coyotes. While patrolling an area of rolling terrain, he sighted a coyote in a gully. He established a racetrack pattern and while rolling out of a left turn, still in a 10-degree bank, he encountered a turbulent dust devil. The wing suddenly dropped and he was unable to cover prior to the wing tip contacting the ground. As the aircraft settled, it slid sideways and tore off the right main landing gear before coming to rest on its nose. The pilot estimated the winds were from the northwest at 5 knots gusting to 10 knots and the elevation was 4,800 feet.
As the FAA filed it
DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE PUBLIC USE ACFT WAS SHOOTING COYOTES FOR POPULATION CONTROL WHEN IT WENT TO CHECK OUT A KILL. ENCOUNTERED A POCKET OF AIR OR A DOWNDRAFT, AND STRUCK THE GROUND. OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.19) ON FEBRUARY 19, 1999, ABOUT 0930 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A CHRISTEN A-1, N2UJ, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN 20 MILES NORTHWEST OF BATTLE MOUNTAIN, NEVADA. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND ONE OBSERVER WERE NOT INJURED. THE PUBLIC-USE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 ON CONTRACT TO THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR PEST CONTROL. THE AIRCRAFT HAD DEPARTED BATTLE MOUNTAIN ABOUT 0700 AND WAS MANEUVERING AT LOW ALTITUDE WHEN A LOCALIZED WIND CONDITION FORCED IT INTO CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT STATED TO A FEDERAL AVIATION INSPECTOR THAT HE IS CONTRACTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE TO ERADICATE COYOTES. HE PATROLS AN AREA AND UPON SIGHTING A COYOTE HE MANEUVERS THE AIRCRAFT INTO POSITION FOR HIS OBSERVER TO SHOOT THE ANIMAL. WHILE MANEUVERING ABOVE THE DESERT FLOOR HE ENCOUNTERED WHAT HE DESCRIBED AS A "DUST DEVIL." THE SWIRLING WIND AND TURBULENCE CAUSED HIM TO LOSE ALTITUDE AND HIS LEFT WING TIP STRUCK THE GROUND. THE LEFT WING WAS CRUSHED AND THE RIGHT WING WAS WRINKLED. THE PROPELLER WAS BENT AND THE COWLING WAS DAMAGED. THE LANDING GEAR WAS BENT AND TWISTED, AND THE GEAR ATTACH POINTS INSIDE THE FUSELAGE WERE BUCKLED. (FROM .4) ON FEBRUARY 19, 1999, ABOUT 0900 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A CHRISTEN A-1, N2UJ, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN 20 MILES NORTHWEST OF BATTLE MOUNTAIN, NEVADA. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT/OWNER AND ONE OBSERVER WERE NOT INJURED. THE PUBLIC-USE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 ON CONTRACT TO THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR PEST CONTROL. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED BATTLE MOUNTAIN ABOUT 0700. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS CONTRACTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE TO ERADICATE COYOTES. WHILE PATROLLING AN AREA OF ROLLING TERRAIN, HE SIGHTED A COYOTE IN A GULLY. HE ESTABLISHED A RACETRACK PATTERN AND WHILE ROLLING OUT OF A LEFT TURN, STILL IN A 10-DEGREE BANK, HE ENCOUNTERED A TURBULENT DUST DEVIL. THE WING SUDDENLY DROPPED AND HE WAS UNABLE TO COVER PRIOR TO THE WING TIP CONTACTING THE GROUND. AS THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED, IT SLID SIDEWAYS AND TORE OFF THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR BEFORE COMING TO REST ON ITS NOSE. THE PILOT ESTIMATED THE WINDS WERE FROM THE NORTHWEST AT 5 KNOTS GUSTING TO 10 KNOTS AND THE ELEVATION WAS 4,800 FEET.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.