20210413004509A

ON APRIL 13, 2021, AT APPROXIMATELY 0900 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A 1976 CESSNA A188B, WITH REGISTRATION N4912Q, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK AN OVERHEAD HIGH VOLTAGE POWER LINE. THIS ACCIDENT OCCURRED IN A REMOTE AREA APPROXIMATELY 7 MILES WEST OF PINEVIEW, GEORGIA DURING AN AERIAL APPLICATION OF MOSQUITO REPELLENT. THERE WAS ONE PERSON ON BOARD WHO SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES AND PRONOUNCED DECEASED AT THE SCENE. 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 APRIL 13, 2021, AT APPROXIMATELY 1300 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN FAA INSPECTOR FROM THE ATLANTA FLIGHT STANDARD DISTRICT OFFICE (FSDO) ARRIVED ON SCENE TO INVESTIGATE THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT. ONCE ON LOCATION THE FAA INSPECTOR WAS MET BY MEMBERS OF THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SHERIFF?S DEPARTMENT WHO WERE ON SCENE SECURING THE WRECKAGE. A REVIEW OF THE WRECKAGE SITE REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRAVELLING FROM A WEST TO EAST DIRECTION WHEN IT STRUCK THREE POWER LINES. FROM THE GROUND VIEW THESE LINES APPEARED TO BE BARELY ATTACHED BY ONLY A FEW THREADS. THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS MOSTLY CONTAINED AS THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 20 YARDS EAST OF THE POWER LINES. AN INTERVIEW WAS CONDUCTED WITH AN EYE WITNESS WHO LIVES ADJACENT TO THE WRECKAGE SITE. THE WITNESS STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN SPRAYING THAT MORNING MOSTLY TRAVELLING FROM NORTH TO SOUTH BUT ON THIS PARTICULAR OCCASION, HE SWITCHED HIS DIRECTION TO FLY FROM THE WEST TO EAST DIRECTION. FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF THE WITNESS THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE FUNCTIONING NORMALLY AND NO KNOWN ISSUES WERE OBSERVED. MOMENTS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT THE WITNESS NOTICED THE AIRCRAFT FLYING DIRECTLY EAST AT A LOW LEVEL AND INTO THE MORNING SUN. HE FURTHER STATED THAT AS THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED THE POWER LINES, HE COULD SEE THE WINGS TIPS ROCK BACK AND FORTH, EVIDENT OF THE PIC TRYING TO MAKE A QUICK DECISION TO AVOID THE POWER LINES. AS THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE POWER LINES, THE WITNESS STATED THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED SEVERAL TIMES IN THE AIR BEFORE STRIKING THE GROUND. THIS OBSERVATION EXPLAINS WHY THE WRECKAGE WAS MOSTLY BALLED UP TIGHTLY WITH VERY LITTLE DEBRIS FIELD. ADDITIONALLY, THE OWNER OF THE CFR PART 137 OPERATION ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS ALSO INTERVIEWED. THE OWNER STATED THAT THE PIC HAS ONLY BEEN WITH THE COMPANY FOR THE PAST THREE MONTHS AND WAS SLOWLY LEARNING THE AREA AND WAS ONLY BEING GIVEN MOSQUITO REPELLENT TO SPRAY UNTIL HE BECAME COMFORTABLE WITH SPRAYING OPERATIONS. THE OWNER PROVIDED THE FAA A COPY OF THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS TEST THAT WAS PERFORMED ON THE PIC ON 2/26/2021 AND ALLOWED HIM TO SERVE AS PILOT-IN-COMMAND IN AGRICULTURAL AIRCRAFT OPERATED UNDER COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURAL OPERATING CERTIFICATE NUMBER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^

ON APRIL 14, 2021, AT APPROXIMATELY 0900, MEMBERS OF THE ATLANTA FSDO, NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD (NTSB) AND A REPRESENTATIVE FROM TEXTRON AVIATION ARRIVED ON SCENE TO FURTHER EVALUATE THE ACCIDENT SITE. A FULL CONTINUITY CHECK WAS PERFORMED ON THE AIRCRAFT FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACES, WHICH REVEALED NO PREEXISTING FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS. ADDITIONALLY, THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE WAS DISASSEMBLED TO LOOK FOR EVIDENCE OF PREMATURE ENGINE FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. ONCE AGAIN, NO KNOW ISSUES WERE DISCOVERED. FINALLY, THE REMAING FUEL ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT WAS EXAMINED AS THE AIRCRAFT CARBURETOR STILL HAS RESIDUAL LEFT IN THE BOWL WHICH LEADS YOU TO BELIEVE THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE SHOULD HAVE BEEN RUNNING AT TIME OF IMPACT.