What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot in command was practicing crop dusting maneuvers. During a turn to the right, the aircraft entered a stall / spin situation from which the pilot was unable to recover.
The aircraft was centered laterally and 875 ft from the south end of a rectangular recently planted bean field. The field was oriented with a north and south long axis of 2665 ft and 2200 ft wide. Coordinates latitude: 39.4050 n and longitude: -91.3120 w. the aircraft came to rest on a heading of 160 magnetic. The aircraft came to rest in a nose down attitude with the empennage broken aft of the rear seat and displaced to the left. There was no fore and aft or lateral movement after impact.
The iic and aw ASI established continuity of all flight controls to all control surfaces. Some cables suffered overload failure or cut by first responders. Continuity was established to these points and to the control surfaces.
The interview of privacy data omitted and witness indicated the aircraft departed H19 and turned to the west to set up to practice spray swaths on a field immediately to the south of the accident location. This field was routinely used by the operator for training with the permission of the privacy data omitted. The PIC approached the field from the south to pick up the western a-b line to define the field. The accident occurred as the aircraft was making a 180 degree right turn to pick up the c point on the northeast corner of the field. The aircraft entered a stall and spin to the right before impacting terrain.
The iic calculated a weight and balance using information contained in the aircraft folder and the pilot certificate weights. The pilot and passenger weights were similar to those provided by the medical examiner. The gross weight at the time of the accident was approximately 1334.5 pounds and the center of gravity was 18.1 inches. The maximum weight listed in type certificate data sheet A-759 is 1220 pounds and center of gravity limits are +10.9 to +21.5. The aircraft was approximately 114.5 pounds (9.4%) over the maximum weight and within the allowable center of gravity range.
The winds reported at Mexico, MO located 27.8 nautical miles to the southwest were reported from 320 degrees at seven knots gusting to twenty three. The winds at hannibal, MO located 20.5 NM to the north were reported as calm to 340 degrees at six knots.
Two witnesses reported the aircraft seemed to be struggling to fly. These witnesses were not pilots but accustomed to the sound of airplanes. One witness was familiar with the accident airplane since his home was close to the field and often observed the airplane practicing.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT IN COMMAND WAS PRACTICING CROP DUSTING MANEUVERS. DURING A TURN TO THE RIGHT, THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A STALL / SPIN SITUATION FROM WHICH THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS CENTERED LATERALLY AND 875 FT FROM THE SOUTH END OF A RECTANGULAR RECENTLY PLANTED BEAN FIELD. THE FIELD WAS ORIENTED WITH A NORTH AND SOUTH LONG AXIS OF 2665 FT AND 2200 FT WIDE. COORDINATES LATITUDE: 39.4050 N AND LONGITUDE: -91.3120 W. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON A HEADING OF 160 MAGNETIC. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE WITH THE EMPENNAGE BROKEN AFT OF THE REAR SEAT AND DISPLACED TO THE LEFT. THERE WAS NO FORE AND AFT OR LATERAL MOVEMENT AFTER IMPACT.
THE IIC AND AW ASI ESTABLISHED CONTINUITY OF ALL FLIGHT CONTROLS TO ALL CONTROL SURFACES. SOME CABLES SUFFERED OVERLOAD FAILURE OR CUT BY FIRST RESPONDERS. CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED TO THESE POINTS AND TO THE CONTROL SURFACES.
THE INTERVIEW OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND WITNESS INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED H19 AND TURNED TO THE WEST TO SET UP TO PRACTICE SPRAY SWATHS ON A FIELD IMMEDIATELY TO THE SOUTH OF THE ACCIDENT LOCATION. THIS FIELD WAS ROUTINELY USED BY THE OPERATOR FOR TRAINING WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE PIC APPROACHED THE FIELD FROM THE SOUTH TO PICK UP THE WESTERN A-B LINE TO DEFINE THE FIELD. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS MAKING A 180 DEGREE RIGHT TURN TO PICK UP THE C POINT ON THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF THE FIELD. THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A STALL AND SPIN TO THE RIGHT BEFORE IMPACTING TERRAIN.
THE IIC CALCULATED A WEIGHT AND BALANCE USING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE AIRCRAFT FOLDER AND THE PILOT CERTIFICATE WEIGHTS. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WEIGHTS WERE SIMILAR TO THOSE PROVIDED BY THE MEDICAL EXAMINER. THE GROSS WEIGHT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS APPROXIMATELY 1334.5 POUNDS AND THE CENTER OF GRAVITY WAS 18.1 INCHES. THE MAXIMUM WEIGHT LISTED IN TYPE CERTIFICATE DATA SHEET A-759 IS 1220 POUNDS AND CENTER OF GRAVITY LIMITS ARE +10.9 TO +21.5. THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY 114.5 POUNDS (9.4%) OVER THE MAXIMUM WEIGHT AND WITHIN THE ALLOWABLE CENTER OF GRAVITY RANGE.
THE WINDS REPORTED AT MEXICO, MO LOCATED 27.8 NAUTICAL MILES TO THE SOUTHWEST WERE REPORTED FROM 320 DEGREES AT SEVEN KNOTS GUSTING TO TWENTY THREE. THE WINDS AT HANNIBAL, MO LOCATED 20.5 NM TO THE NORTH WERE REPORTED AS CALM TO 340 DEGREES AT SIX KNOTS.
TWO WITNESSES REPORTED THE AIRCRAFT SEEMED TO BE STRUGGLING TO FLY. THESE WITNESSES WERE NOT PILOTS BUT ACCUSTOMED TO THE SOUND OF AIRPLANES. ONE WITNESS WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE SINCE HIS HOME WAS CLOSE TO THE FIELD AND OFTEN OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE PRACTICING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.