What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23)On June 3, 2001, at 0832 cdst, N484WB, air tractor model 402B, flown by privacy data omitted crahsed 4.5 miles NE of Mount Veron, SD. The aircraft was being operated under FAR 137 while performing agricultural operations. The pilot was fatally injured. (.19)on June 3, 2001, at approximately 0832 central daylight time, an air tractor, AT-402B, N484WB, operated by a commercial pilot was destroyed when during a maneuver, it impacted the terrain 4.5 miles northeast of Mt. Vernon, south dakota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The aerial application flight was being conducted under the provisions of 14 CFR part 137. There was no flight plan on file. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The local flight originated at mitchell, south dakota. A witness in the vicinity of the accident site said he heard the airplane in the area at approximately 0830. The witness said that the airplane's engine sounded okay, then he heard a thump. A federal aviation administration inspector examined the airplane at the accident site. On arrival, the inspector found the airplane in a grass field approximately 50 yards south o f an east-west running line of trees. The front of the airplane, the propeller, and the engine, were buried in the ground. Impressions in the ground corresponded with where the leading edges of both wings came to rest. An arc-shaped slash in the ground was observed in the area around where the engine and cowling had impacted the ground. The propeller blades were buried in the ground so that only the blade tips were visible. The blades were curled aft at the tips. On removal of the airplane from the accident site, the propeller blades showed chordwise scratches and torsional bending. The propeller nose dome showed a crush angle of 30 degrees. The leading edges of both wings were bent upward and crushed aft. The cockpit and fuselage were crushed forward. The vertical stabilizer was bent and buckled forward. The rudder was intact. The horizontal stabilizers were bent and broken forward. The elevators were broken out, but remained intact. Flight control continuity was confirmed. The airplane's engine was retained for further examination.
As the FAA filed it
(-23)ON JUNE 3, 2001, AT 0832 CDST, N484WB, AIR TRACTOR MODEL 402B, FLOWN BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED CRAHSED 4.5 MILES NE OF MOUNT VERON, SD. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER FAR 137 WHILE PERFORMING AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. (.19)ON JUNE 3, 2001, AT APPROXIMATELY 0832 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AIR TRACTOR, AT-402B, N484WB, OPERATED BY A COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS DESTROYED WHEN DURING A MANEUVER, IT IMPACTED THE TERRAIN 4.5 MILES NORTHEAST OF MT. VERNON, SOUTH DAKOTA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 137. THERE WAS NO FLIGHT PLAN ON FILE. THE PILOT SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT MITCHELL, SOUTH DAKOTA. A WITNESS IN THE VICINITY OF THE ACCIDENT SITE SAID HE HEARD THE AIRPLANE IN THE AREA AT APPROXIMATELY 0830. THE WITNESS SAID THAT THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE SOUNDED OKAY, THEN HE HEARD A THUMP. A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTOR EXAMINED THE AIRPLANE AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. ON ARRIVAL, THE INSPECTOR FOUND THE AIRPLANE IN A GRASS FIELD APPROXIMATELY 50 YARDS SOUTH O F AN EAST-WEST RUNNING LINE OF TREES. THE FRONT OF THE AIRPLANE, THE PROPELLER, AND THE ENGINE, WERE BURIED IN THE GROUND. IMPRESSIONS IN THE GROUND CORRESPONDED WITH WHERE THE LEADING EDGES OF BOTH WINGS CAME TO REST. AN ARC-SHAPED SLASH IN THE GROUND WAS OBSERVED IN THE AREA AROUND WHERE THE ENGINE AND COWLING HAD IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE PROPELLER BLADES WERE BURIED IN THE GROUND SO THAT ONLY THE BLADE TIPS WERE VISIBLE. THE BLADES WERE CURLED AFT AT THE TIPS. ON REMOVAL OF THE AIRPLANE FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE, THE PROPELLER BLADES SHOWED CHORDWISE SCRATCHES AND TORSIONAL BENDING. THE PROPELLER NOSE DOME SHOWED A CRUSH ANGLE OF 30 DEGREES. THE LEADING EDGES OF BOTH WINGS WERE BENT UPWARD AND CRUSHED AFT. THE COCKPIT AND FUSELAGE WERE CRUSHED FORWARD. THE VERTICAL STABILIZER WAS BENT AND BUCKLED FORWARD. THE RUDDER WAS INTACT. THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS WERE BENT AND BROKEN FORWARD. THE ELEVATORS WERE BROKEN OUT, BUT REMAINED INTACT. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS CONFIRMED. THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE WAS RETAINED FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.