What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 21, 1999, at 0646 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-25-260, N8531L, owned and operated by the pilot, was destroyed following an in-flight collision with wires while maneuvering 6 miles north of the Richfield municipal airport, Richfield, Utah. The commercial pilot, sole occupant aboard, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local area aerial application flight being conducted under title 14 CFR part 137. The flight originated from the Richfield airport at 0630. No flight plan had been filed. According to the pilot, he was spraying a field with furadan (a weed killer) when the landing gear wheels collided with power lines. The pilot stated that he was able to fly the aircraft for a short time before losing control, and the aircraft then impacted the ground. (.4) the pilot was performing an aerial application flight and had just performed his fourth pass spraying a field. While pulling up out of the field, he caught a power line with the landing gear. He was able to fly for a short time but was unable to adequately control the aircraft, and performed a forced landing in the field. The aircraft impacted the ground, damaging the engine, prope ller, and the landing gear. The pilot had two additional accidents within a year. Following his latest accident, the pilot verbally agreed to voluntarily surrender his aerial application operating certificate to, and at the request of, the FAA. As of this writing, the pilot had not yet rendered his certificate.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 21, 1999, AT 0646 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-25-260, N8531L, OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, WAS DESTROYED FOLLOWING AN IN-FLIGHT COLLISION WITH WIRES WHILE MANEUVERING 6 MILES NORTH OF THE RICHFIELD MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, RICHFIELD, UTAH. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT ABOARD, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE LOCAL AREA AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT BEING CONDUCTED UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 137. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE RICHFIELD AIRPORT AT 0630. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE WAS SPRAYING A FIELD WITH FURADAN (A WEED KILLER) WHEN THE LANDING GEAR WHEELS COLLIDED WITH POWER LINES. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS ABLE TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT FOR A SHORT TIME BEFORE LOSING CONTROL, AND THE AIRCRAFT THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND. (.4) THE PILOT WAS PERFORMING AN AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT AND HAD JUST PERFORMED HIS FOURTH PASS SPRAYING A FIELD. WHILE PULLING UP OUT OF THE FIELD, HE CAUGHT A POWER LINE WITH THE LANDING GEAR. HE WAS ABLE TO FLY FOR A SHORT TIME BUT WAS UNABLE TO ADEQUATELY CONTROL THE AIRCRAFT, AND PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING IN THE FIELD. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND, DAMAGING THE ENGINE, PROPE LLER, AND THE LANDING GEAR. THE PILOT HAD TWO ADDITIONAL ACCIDENTS WITHIN A YEAR. FOLLOWING HIS LATEST ACCIDENT, THE PILOT VERBALLY AGREED TO VOLUNTARILY SURRENDER HIS AERIAL APPLICATION OPERATING CERTIFICATE TO, AND AT THE REQUEST OF, THE FAA. AS OF THIS WRITING, THE PILOT HAD NOT YET RENDERED HIS CERTIFICATE.
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 N8531L · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.