20020411017909I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · WSK PZL M18B · Hazleton, PA · April 11, 2002

Date: April 11, 2002 · 11:45 local
Place: Hazleton, PA
Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: FDDG
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N9152X
Reported as: WSK PZLM18B
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 13,500 total3,000 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days

N9152XRegistered now · WSK PZL Mielec PZL M18BS/N 1Z026-30 Airframe modelWSK PZL Mielec PZL M18B Engine modelHoneywell TPE331-11UTurbo-prop

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) Pilot approached ridge line to make a water drop. He proceeded down the ridge when the wind shifted and a cloud of smoke billowed up and obscured his view. On his drop he hit a large branch obscured in smoke. He proceeded down the ridge line and started a climb out. The pilot returned to the airport without incident. Aircraft had only minor damage to right wing, leading edge, flap and elevator.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT APPROACHED RIDGE LINE TO MAKE A WATER DROP. HE PROCEEDED DOWN THE RIDGE WHEN THE WIND SHIFTED AND A CLOUD OF SMOKE BILLOWED UP AND OBSCURED HIS VIEW. ON HIS DROP HE HIT A LARGE BRANCH OBSCURED IN SMOKE. HE PROCEEDED DOWN THE RIDGE LINE AND STARTED A CLIMB OUT. THE PILOT RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT WITHOUT INCIDENT. AIRCRAFT HAD ONLY MINOR DAMAGE TO RIGHT WING, LEADING EDGE, FLAP AND ELEVATOR.