What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot of a PT-22 (ST3KR), N48701, failed to see a tractor parked on the grass runway at Frazier lake (1C9). The aircraft subsequently impacted the tractor on the landing rollout and fatally injured the person riding the vehicle. The person driving the tractor was facing upwind with his back to the landing aircraft. Although all people involved had headsets or radios available, the tractor driver took his headset off for 1 to 2 minutes in order to talk with the airport caretaker. About 1.5 seconds prior to impact the airport caretaker noticed the impending impact and jumped on the back of a white pickup truck which was parked next to the tractor. The tractor driver was fatally injured. The caretaker was unhurt. The pilot suffered minor injuries and a passenger onboard suffered serious injuries.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT OF A PT-22 (ST3KR), N48701, FAILED TO SEE A TRACTOR PARKED ON THE GRASS RUNWAY AT FRAZIER LAKE (1C9). THE AIRCRAFT SUBSEQUENTLY IMPACTED THE TRACTOR ON THE LANDING ROLLOUT AND FATALLY INJURED THE PERSON RIDING THE VEHICLE. THE PERSON DRIVING THE TRACTOR WAS FACING UPWIND WITH HIS BACK TO THE LANDING AIRCRAFT. ALTHOUGH ALL PEOPLE INVOLVED HAD HEADSETS OR RADIOS AVAILABLE, THE TRACTOR DRIVER TOOK HIS HEADSET OFF FOR 1 TO 2 MINUTES IN ORDER TO TALK WITH THE AIRPORT CARETAKER. ABOUT 1.5 SECONDS PRIOR TO IMPACT THE AIRPORT CARETAKER NOTICED THE IMPENDING IMPACT AND JUMPED ON THE BACK OF A WHITE PICKUP TRUCK WHICH WAS PARKED NEXT TO THE TRACTOR. THE TRACTOR DRIVER WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE CARETAKER WAS UNHURT. THE PILOT SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES AND A PASSENGER ONBOARD SUFFERED SERIOUS INJURIES.
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 N48701 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.