- Date
- July 29, 2010, 12:50 local (17:50 UTC)
- Place
- Petersburg, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N57706Piper PA-36-285
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100729039749A
- Case key
- 76818
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 a signpost during an aerial application flight.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, during an agricultural aerial application pass underneath electrical wires, the airplane’s right main landing gear collided with a signpost and was "torn off." The pilot then flew the airplane back to his base of operations. During the landing, without the right main landing gear, the right wing impacted the ground. The airplane spun around 180 degrees before coming to rest in the upright position. The pilot was not injured; however, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing during the accident.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during an agricultural aerial application run underneath electrical wires, the airplane’s right main landing gear collided with a signpost and was “torn off”. The pilot then flew the airplane back to his base of operations. During the landing, without the right main landing gear, the right wing impacted the ground. The airplane spun around 180-degrees before coming to rest in the upright position. The pilot was not injured; however, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing during the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N57706
- Reported as
- Piper PA-36-285
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 36-7660032
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-720, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Bertrand Spraying LLC
- Registered owner
- Bertrand Spraying LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- Petersburg, TX
- Destination
- Floydada, TX
- Airport
- Private
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 14, 2010
- Seat
- Single
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- KPVW, 22 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 1, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 721 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N57706 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.