What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 3, 2020, at approximately 08:46 a.m. eastern daylight time, a 2012 Thrush aircraft, model S2R-H80, with registration N30529, sustained substantial damage when the aircraft?s right wing struck a 150 ft. GPS antenna during an aerial application of a cotton field, approximately 7 miles south of Hawkinsville, Georgia. There was one person on board who sustained serious injuries and was medevacked to the macon medical center for treatment. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. This was a commercial flight being conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations part 137.
On September 3, 2020, at approximately 11:00 a.m. eastern daylight time, an FAA inspector from the atlanta flight standard district office (FSDO) arrived on scene to investigate the accident. Once on location the FAA inspector was met by members of the pulaski county fire department and the pulaski county sheriff?s office. These individuals were the first responders at the crash site and responsible for getting the pilot in command (PIC) safely out of the aircraft. As a result of the massive chemical spill and the breached aircraft hopper that occurred when the aircraft impacted the terrain, the aircraft had to be taped off to prevent additional personnel from being contaminated. The hopper on the S2R-H80, has a maximum capacity of approximately 400 gallons. It was speculated that there was 200 gallons of chemical still onboard at the time of impact. The chemical on board was a water miscible insecticide known as bidrin 8. According to the labeling on the bottle this was a restricted use pesticide with a danger/poison caution. Due to the hazmat spill, an assessment of the wreckage site was performed at a safe distance to avoid contamination. A review of the wreckage revealed extensive damage to the front nose area and engine compartment, evident of a high angle, low velocity impact. The right wing was severely damaged as a result of striking the GPS antenna during flight and approximately the top 10 feet of the antenna was severed on impact and still attached to the aircraft. Due to the hard landing, there was extensive damage to the left wing and under belly fuselage areas. The crash site was approximately 746 feet directly in line with the GPS antenna?s location. Although not confirmed it was reported that the GPS antenna was 150 feet in height. According to FAA advisory circular 70/7460-1L, titled obstruction lighting and marking, chapter 2 states that the FAA recommends all temporary or permanent structures over 200 feet should be marked or lighted. There was no requirement for this antenna to have lights.
A review of the FAA?s safety performance analysis system (spas), displayed that the aircraft was listed as a 2012 Thrush Aircraft Inc., model S2R-H80 with serial number H80-108. The aircraft was privacy data omitted., out of Hawkinsville, Georgia with a current aircraft registration issued to N30529. Additionally, the aircraft had a valid special airworthiness certificate in the restricted category for the purpose of agricultural and pest control issued on October 23, 2012. The aircraft had no prior reported incidents or accidents.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 3, 2020, AT APPROXIMATELY 08:46 A.M. EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A 2012 THRUSH AIRCRAFT, MODEL S2R-H80, WITH REGISTRATION N30529, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN THE AIRCRAFT?S RIGHT WING STRUCK A 150 FT. GPS ANTENNA DURING AN AERIAL APPLICATION OF A COTTON FIELD, APPROXIMATELY 7 MILES SOUTH OF HAWKINSVILLE, GEORGIA. THERE WAS ONE PERSON ON BOARD WHO SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES AND WAS MEDEVACKED TO THE MACON MEDICAL CENTER FOR TREATMENT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THIS WAS A COMMERCIAL FLIGHT BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 137.
ON SEPTEMBER 3, 2020, AT APPROXIMATELY 11:00 A.M. EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN FAA INSPECTOR FROM THE ATLANTA FLIGHT STANDARD DISTRICT OFFICE (FSDO) ARRIVED ON SCENE TO INVESTIGATE THE ACCIDENT. ONCE ON LOCATION THE FAA INSPECTOR WAS MET BY MEMBERS OF THE PULASKI COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE PULASKI COUNTY SHERIFF?S OFFICE. THESE INDIVIDUALS WERE THE FIRST RESPONDERS AT THE CRASH SITE AND RESPONSIBLE FOR GETTING THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) SAFELY OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT. AS A RESULT OF THE MASSIVE CHEMICAL SPILL AND THE BREACHED AIRCRAFT HOPPER THAT OCCURRED WHEN THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE TERRAIN, THE AIRCRAFT HAD TO BE TAPED OFF TO PREVENT ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL FROM BEING CONTAMINATED. THE HOPPER ON THE S2R-H80, HAS A MAXIMUM CAPACITY OF APPROXIMATELY 400 GALLONS. IT WAS SPECULATED THAT THERE WAS 200 GALLONS OF CHEMICAL STILL ONBOARD AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. THE CHEMICAL ON BOARD WAS A WATER MISCIBLE INSECTICIDE KNOWN AS BIDRIN 8. ACCORDING TO THE LABELING ON THE BOTTLE THIS WAS A RESTRICTED USE PESTICIDE WITH A DANGER/POISON CAUTION. DUE TO THE HAZMAT SPILL, AN ASSESSMENT OF THE WRECKAGE SITE WAS PERFORMED AT A SAFE DISTANCE TO AVOID CONTAMINATION. A REVIEW OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE FRONT NOSE AREA AND ENGINE COMPARTMENT, EVIDENT OF A HIGH ANGLE, LOW VELOCITY IMPACT. THE RIGHT WING WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED AS A RESULT OF STRIKING THE GPS ANTENNA DURING FLIGHT AND APPROXIMATELY THE TOP 10 FEET OF THE ANTENNA WAS SEVERED ON IMPACT AND STILL ATTACHED TO THE AIRCRAFT. DUE TO THE HARD LANDING, THERE WAS EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING AND UNDER BELLY FUSELAGE AREAS. THE CRASH SITE WAS APPROXIMATELY 746 FEET DIRECTLY IN LINE WITH THE GPS ANTENNA?S LOCATION. ALTHOUGH NOT CONFIRMED IT WAS REPORTED THAT THE GPS ANTENNA WAS 150 FEET IN HEIGHT. ACCORDING TO FAA ADVISORY CIRCULAR 70/7460-1L, TITLED OBSTRUCTION LIGHTING AND MARKING, CHAPTER 2 STATES THAT THE FAA RECOMMENDS ALL TEMPORARY OR PERMANENT STRUCTURES OVER 200 FEET SHOULD BE MARKED OR LIGHTED. THERE WAS NO REQUIREMENT FOR THIS ANTENNA TO HAVE LIGHTS.
A REVIEW OF THE FAA?S SAFETY PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS SYSTEM (SPAS), DISPLAYED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS LISTED AS A 2012 THRUSH AIRCRAFT INC., MODEL S2R-H80 WITH SERIAL NUMBER H80-108. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^., OUT OF HAWKINSVILLE, GEORGIA WITH A CURRENT AIRCRAFT REGISTRATION ISSUED TO N30529. ADDITIONALLY, THE AIRCRAFT HAD A VALID SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE IN THE RESTRICTED CATEGORY FOR THE PURPOSE OF AGRICULTURAL AND PEST CONTROL ISSUED ON OCTOBER 23, 2012. THE AIRCRAFT HAD NO PRIOR REPORTED INCIDENTS OR ACCIDENTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.