- Date
- August 22, 1989, 08:45 local (13:45 UTC)
- Place
- Atmore, AL
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N57581Piper PA-36-285
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 22, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890822031239A
- Case key
- 7840
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from obstacles (the crop) during an agricultural spray run.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
On approach to a field for a spray run the pilot flared the airplane and the wheels struck the crop. He was unable to pull up and the airplane collided with the ground. An unknown amount of the chemical permethrin leaked out into the field. The plt reported that the landing gear became entangled in the crop and pulled the acft down to ground contact.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N57581
- Reported as
- Piper PA-36-285
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 36-750117
- Engine
- P&W R-985-AN1, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Farmers Air Service, Inc., doing business as Farmers Air Service, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Farmers Air Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 16, 1989 · 85 hours before
- Departed
- OR2 · Atmore, AL
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 12,271 total · 818 in this make and model · 12,261 as pilot in command · 192 in the last 90 days · 80 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MOB, 40 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.