What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 22, 2017, about 1100 pacific daylight time, a Rockwell S-2R, N5022X, impacted terrain about 9 miles east of Calipatria, California. The crash was witnessed by an individual who was working in the area at the time. He observed the accident airplane complete an agricultural spray pass from west to east. As the airplane approached his position, the airplane began a right turn to turn around and
Re-enter the spray area. Following a slight right turn, the airplane rolled wings level before what would typically be a left turn back to the field. When the wings were rolled level, at an estimated altitude of between 150FT above ground level (AGL) and 200FT AGL, the nose dropped and the
Airplane impacted the field in near vertical attitude. Following the impact, a fire ignited and consumed the wreckage. Another witness was a "flagger" in the field with 29 years of employment at the operation. He stated that prior to the crash he was in radio contact with the pilot and that the last communication was the pilot stating that he was going to make another pass, then crashed without further communication. A third witness, a "chemical mixer" stated that prior to the crash he was also in communication with the pilot and that after take-off the pilot stated "the plane felt good" that was the last communication prior to the crash. The pilot had crashed while flying the same make/model aircraft for agricultural applications on 1 aug 2017 NTSB# WPR17LA174 resulting in substantial damage to the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 22, 2017, ABOUT 1100 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A ROCKWELL S-2R, N5022X, IMPACTED TERRAIN ABOUT 9 MILES EAST OF CALIPATRIA, CALIFORNIA. THE CRASH WAS WITNESSED BY AN INDIVIDUAL WHO WAS WORKING IN THE AREA AT THE TIME. HE OBSERVED THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE COMPLETE AN AGRICULTURAL SPRAY PASS FROM WEST TO EAST. AS THE AIRPLANE APPROACHED HIS POSITION, THE AIRPLANE BEGAN A RIGHT TURN TO TURN AROUND AND
RE-ENTER THE SPRAY AREA. FOLLOWING A SLIGHT RIGHT TURN, THE AIRPLANE ROLLED WINGS LEVEL BEFORE WHAT WOULD TYPICALLY BE A LEFT TURN BACK TO THE FIELD. WHEN THE WINGS WERE ROLLED LEVEL, AT AN ESTIMATED ALTITUDE OF BETWEEN 150FT ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) AND 200FT AGL, THE NOSE DROPPED AND THE
AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE FIELD IN NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE. FOLLOWING THE IMPACT, A FIRE IGNITED AND CONSUMED THE WRECKAGE. ANOTHER WITNESS WAS A "FLAGGER" IN THE FIELD WITH 29 YEARS OF EMPLOYMENT AT THE OPERATION. HE STATED THAT PRIOR TO THE CRASH HE WAS IN RADIO CONTACT WITH THE PILOT AND THAT THE LAST COMMUNICATION WAS THE PILOT STATING THAT HE WAS GOING TO MAKE ANOTHER PASS, THEN CRASHED WITHOUT FURTHER COMMUNICATION. A THIRD WITNESS, A "CHEMICAL MIXER" STATED THAT PRIOR TO THE CRASH HE WAS ALSO IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE PILOT AND THAT AFTER TAKE-OFF THE PILOT STATED "THE PLANE FELT GOOD" THAT WAS THE LAST COMMUNICATION PRIOR TO THE CRASH. THE PILOT HAD CRASHED WHILE FLYING THE SAME MAKE/MODEL AIRCRAFT FOR AGRICULTURAL APPLICATIONS ON 1 AUG 2017 NTSB# WPR17LA174 RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.