What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The agricultural pilot was making his first pass of the day when the airplane struck a center pivot irrigation system. The impact damaged the irrigation system, and the right landing gear and tail wheel separated from the airplane. The airplane then immediately started a descending bank to the right. The right aileron was jammed in the full up position and control stick movements had no affect on the right aileron. The pilot was able to use full power, full left aileron, and full left rudder to regain partial control and return to the airport for an emergency landing. As the airplane touched down the left landing gear separated and the airplane came to rest upright with resulting substantial damage to the fuselage and flight controls. The pilot was able to exit the airplane unassisted.
As the FAA filed it
THE AGRICULTURAL PILOT WAS MAKING HIS FIRST PASS OF THE DAY WHEN THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A CENTER PIVOT IRRIGATION SYSTEM. THE IMPACT DAMAGED THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM, AND THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR AND TAIL WHEEL SEPARATED FROM THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE THEN IMMEDIATELY STARTED A DESCENDING BANK TO THE RIGHT. THE RIGHT AILERON WAS JAMMED IN THE FULL UP POSITION AND CONTROL STICK MOVEMENTS HAD NO AFFECT ON THE RIGHT AILERON. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO USE FULL POWER, FULL LEFT AILERON, AND FULL LEFT RUDDER TO REGAIN PARTIAL CONTROL AND RETURN TO THE AIRPORT FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING. AS THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN THE LEFT LANDING GEAR SEPARATED AND THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST UPRIGHT WITH RESULTING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE AND FLIGHT CONTROLS. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE AIRPLANE UNASSISTED.
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 N731ST · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.