What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 17, 2011, pilot privacy data omitted took off in N57885, a Piper PA-36-300 for an aerial application flight. The field he was spraying was approximately 4 miles north and 2 miles west of Highmore, SD. He had finished spraying the field and then impacted the ground approximately ¼ to ½ mile east of it. The aircraft was destroyed and he was the only fatality. The weather was VFR and no flight plan had been filed. The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 17, 2011, PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TOOK OFF IN N57885, A PIPER PA-36-300 FOR AN AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT. THE FIELD HE WAS SPRAYING WAS APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES NORTH AND 2 MILES WEST OF HIGHMORE, SD. HE HAD FINISHED SPRAYING THE FIELD AND THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY ¼ TO ½ MILE EAST OF IT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND HE WAS THE ONLY FATALITY. THE WEATHER WAS VFR AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE PILOT HELD A COMMERCIAL PILOT 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.