What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
06:10, 8/8/2019 ? Pilot departed mount pleasant municipal airport (mpz) direct to oelwein municipal airport (orc). Pilot was instructed to load fungicide at orc, depart, then perform agricultural Air operations locally, and in neighboring communities just west of orc.
06:38 ? Pilot?s son was traveling I-80W, 20 miles east of grinnell, IA and reported that he thought he spotted his father fly overhead, which resulted in a telephone text message exchange between the two gentlemen, ending at 06:58. Witness reported that the aircraft appeared to be travelling at approximately 2000FT AGL.
07:15 (Approximately) ? Multiple witnesses on the ground at oelwein municipal (orc) reported N6113C overfly the airport unusually low, less than 300FT AGL, and tracking nw of orc. Witnesses reported what looked like fluid leaking from the left outboard section of the spray boom, but otherwise the aircraft and engine appeared to be operating normally.
07:15 (Approximately) ? A witness, 2.5 miles nw of Sumner spotted an aircraft flying sw in a slight LH bank, very low, ?tree-top level, low enough for a spraying run,? Over his property then 3 to 5 minutes later, he witnessed smoke coming from the direction of town (Sumner).
07:20 (Approximately) ? A witness, 0.5 mile nw of Sumner reported an aircraft flying south very low over his property, strait and level, the engine running, but with a small plume of smoke coming out of the left side.
07:21 ? Aircraft traveled NE, struck power lines, which run north and south along the western edge of whitetail avenue, approximately 400FT south of highway 9, continued NE approximately 900FT, struck a utility pole along the south side of highway 93/1ST street, separating the left wing and aileron, then skidded across hw 93, and traveled approximately 350FT where subsequently, the aircraft struck and imbedded in a tree at a residence, 1302 1st street, Sumner, IA.
The aircraft, mostly destroyed by impact, and consumed by the post impact fire, affixed facing west, and askew, with the right wing wedged upright in the tree; the engine and truss were separated from the airframe and remained by the residence, which sustained minor damage from the impact. A portion of the propeller, and the left wheel assembly were recovered from neighboring businesses approximately 470 and 620FT, respectively.
Surveillance camera video footage from businesses adjacent to the accident site recorded the final moments as the aircraft collided with the utility pole south of HW93; as it skidded across the highway; made contact the with the residence, and burst into flames. The aircraft appeared to be making power, and not attempting to land.
As the FAA filed it
06:10, 8/8/2019 ? PILOT DEPARTED MOUNT PLEASANT MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (MPZ) DIRECT TO OELWEIN MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (ORC). PILOT WAS INSTRUCTED TO LOAD FUNGICIDE AT ORC, DEPART, THEN PERFORM AGRICULTURAL AIR OPERATIONS LOCALLY, AND IN NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES JUST WEST OF ORC.
06:38 ? PILOT?S SON WAS TRAVELING I-80W, 20 MILES EAST OF GRINNELL, IA AND REPORTED THAT HE THOUGHT HE SPOTTED HIS FATHER FLY OVERHEAD, WHICH RESULTED IN A TELEPHONE TEXT MESSAGE EXCHANGE BETWEEN THE TWO GENTLEMEN, ENDING AT 06:58. WITNESS REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE TRAVELLING AT APPROXIMATELY 2000FT AGL.
07:15 (APPROXIMATELY) ? MULTIPLE WITNESSES ON THE GROUND AT OELWEIN MUNICIPAL (ORC) REPORTED N6113C OVERFLY THE AIRPORT UNUSUALLY LOW, LESS THAN 300FT AGL, AND TRACKING NW OF ORC. WITNESSES REPORTED WHAT LOOKED LIKE FLUID LEAKING FROM THE LEFT OUTBOARD SECTION OF THE SPRAY BOOM, BUT OTHERWISE THE AIRCRAFT AND ENGINE APPEARED TO BE OPERATING NORMALLY.
07:15 (APPROXIMATELY) ? A WITNESS, 2.5 MILES NW OF SUMNER SPOTTED AN AIRCRAFT FLYING SW IN A SLIGHT LH BANK, VERY LOW, ?TREE-TOP LEVEL, LOW ENOUGH FOR A SPRAYING RUN,? OVER HIS PROPERTY THEN 3 TO 5 MINUTES LATER, HE WITNESSED SMOKE COMING FROM THE DIRECTION OF TOWN (SUMNER).
07:20 (APPROXIMATELY) ? A WITNESS, 0.5 MILE NW OF SUMNER REPORTED AN AIRCRAFT FLYING SOUTH VERY LOW OVER HIS PROPERTY, STRAIT AND LEVEL, THE ENGINE RUNNING, BUT WITH A SMALL PLUME OF SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE LEFT SIDE.
07:21 ? AIRCRAFT TRAVELED NE, STRUCK POWER LINES, WHICH RUN NORTH AND SOUTH ALONG THE WESTERN EDGE OF WHITETAIL AVENUE, APPROXIMATELY 400FT SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 9, CONTINUED NE APPROXIMATELY 900FT, STRUCK A UTILITY POLE ALONG THE SOUTH SIDE OF HIGHWAY 93/1ST STREET, SEPARATING THE LEFT WING AND AILERON, THEN SKIDDED ACROSS HW 93, AND TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 350FT WHERE SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK AND IMBEDDED IN A TREE AT A RESIDENCE, 1302 1ST STREET, SUMNER, IA.
THE AIRCRAFT, MOSTLY DESTROYED BY IMPACT, AND CONSUMED BY THE POST IMPACT FIRE, AFFIXED FACING WEST, AND ASKEW, WITH THE RIGHT WING WEDGED UPRIGHT IN THE TREE; THE ENGINE AND TRUSS WERE SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME AND REMAINED BY THE RESIDENCE, WHICH SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE FROM THE IMPACT. A PORTION OF THE PROPELLER, AND THE LEFT WHEEL ASSEMBLY WERE RECOVERED FROM NEIGHBORING BUSINESSES APPROXIMATELY 470 AND 620FT, RESPECTIVELY.
SURVEILLANCE CAMERA VIDEO FOOTAGE FROM BUSINESSES ADJACENT TO THE ACCIDENT SITE RECORDED THE FINAL MOMENTS AS THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH THE UTILITY POLE SOUTH OF HW93; AS IT SKIDDED ACROSS THE HIGHWAY; MADE CONTACT THE WITH THE RESIDENCE, AND BURST INTO FLAMES. THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE MAKING POWER, AND NOT ATTEMPTING TO LAND.
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 N6113C · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.