What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 16, 2015 at approximately 13:26 local time (2026 UTC) a commercial pilot was involved in an aircraft accident while attempting to conduct aerial spraying at a bean field located approximately 2 miles south and east of Paxton, NE. Weather conditions at the time of the accident at the ogallala searle field airport (koga) located 22 miles west were reported as clear skies, light easterly winds, temperature 30, dewpoint 10 degrees. The pilot, the lone occupant, sustained minor injuries and the plane was destroyed. The flight departed a private airstrip located approximately 1.5 miles southwest of the accident site in visual meteorological conditions. The aircraft involved in the accident was a Schweizer aircraft ag-cat G-164B.
According to the witness, at about 1326 local time, he saw a plume of smoke in the direction of the planned aerial application location. When the witness arrived to the accident scene, the airman had already exited the burning aircraft.
The aircraft had been on a north run through a bean field in hilly terrain while attempting to fly under three powerline wires. After striking the three approximately 30 foot tall wires, the aircraft first impacted the ground approximately 40 feet beyond the power lines, possibly dragging a wheel. Ground scarring indicates bouncing with the right main gear detached approximately 48 feet from the main wreckage. It then came to rest approximately 400 feet north of the power lines. The engine was detached from the fuselage, approximately 10 feet southeast of the aircraft. The two lower wings lay over the fuselage in a v shape and were partially burned. The fuselage came to rest on the right side, almost upside down, pointing northeast, and completely consumed by the fire. The engine was damaged due to ground impact, and one blade of the propeller was separated from the engine, resting on the south side of the fuselage. The aircraft was destroyed.
As of this date the evidence does not show mechanical interruption prior to impact with the power-lines. After striking the power-lines the aircraft impacted the rising terrain beyond the powerlines.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2015 AT APPROXIMATELY 13:26 LOCAL TIME (2026 UTC) A COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS INVOLVED IN AN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CONDUCT AERIAL SPRAYING AT A BEAN FIELD LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES SOUTH AND EAST OF PAXTON, NE. WEATHER CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AT THE OGALLALA SEARLE FIELD AIRPORT (KOGA) LOCATED 22 MILES WEST WERE REPORTED AS CLEAR SKIES, LIGHT EASTERLY WINDS, TEMPERATURE 30, DEWPOINT 10 DEGREES. THE PILOT, THE LONE OCCUPANT, SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AND THE PLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 1.5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. THE AIRCRAFT INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT WAS A SCHWEIZER AIRCRAFT AG-CAT G-164B.
ACCORDING TO THE WITNESS, AT ABOUT 1326 LOCAL TIME, HE SAW A PLUME OF SMOKE IN THE DIRECTION OF THE PLANNED AERIAL APPLICATION LOCATION. WHEN THE WITNESS ARRIVED TO THE ACCIDENT SCENE, THE AIRMAN HAD ALREADY EXITED THE BURNING AIRCRAFT.
THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN ON A NORTH RUN THROUGH A BEAN FIELD IN HILLY TERRAIN WHILE ATTEMPTING TO FLY UNDER THREE POWERLINE WIRES. AFTER STRIKING THE THREE APPROXIMATELY 30 FOOT TALL WIRES, THE AIRCRAFT FIRST IMPACTED THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 40 FEET BEYOND THE POWER LINES, POSSIBLY DRAGGING A WHEEL. GROUND SCARRING INDICATES BOUNCING WITH THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR DETACHED APPROXIMATELY 48 FEET FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE. IT THEN CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET NORTH OF THE POWER LINES. THE ENGINE WAS DETACHED FROM THE FUSELAGE, APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET SOUTHEAST OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE TWO LOWER WINGS LAY OVER THE FUSELAGE IN A V SHAPE AND WERE PARTIALLY BURNED. THE FUSELAGE CAME TO REST ON THE RIGHT SIDE, ALMOST UPSIDE DOWN, POINTING NORTHEAST, AND COMPLETELY CONSUMED BY THE FIRE. THE ENGINE WAS DAMAGED DUE TO GROUND IMPACT, AND ONE BLADE OF THE PROPELLER WAS SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE, RESTING ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED.
AS OF THIS DATE THE EVIDENCE DOES NOT SHOW MECHANICAL INTERRUPTION PRIOR TO IMPACT WITH THE POWER-LINES. AFTER STRIKING THE POWER-LINES THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE RISING TERRAIN BEYOND THE POWERLINES.
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 N3628Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.