- Date
- July 28, 2011, 18:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Forest City, IA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N331BFAyres S2R-G6
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Loss of visual reference
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 17, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110728016389A
- Case key
- 81392
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 inadequate visual lookout during an aerial application run, which resulted in an in-flight collision with a windmill.
Findings · 1
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
During an aerial application flight, the pilot had completed a spray run and initiated a climb to clear trees at the end of the field. The pilot reported that several trees and windmills were located at the southern end of the field and as the airplane made a climbing left turn, the right wing struck a windmill blade. The collision tore the spray boom from the airplane, which then impacted the airplane’s right side stabilizer and fuselage, causing substantial damage. The pilot was able to perform a successful landing on a nearby gravel road.
Factual narrative
The agricultural pilot had completed a spray run and pulled up to clear trees at the end of the field. The pilot reported that several trees and windmills were located at the southern end of the field and as the airplane made a climbing left turn, the right wing struck a windmill blade. The collision tore the spray boom from the airplane, which then impacted the airplane’s right side stabilizer and fuselage, causing substantial damage. The pilot was able to perform a successful precautionary landing on a nearby gravel road.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N331BF
- Reported as
- Ayres S2R-G6
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- G6-102
- Airframe hours
- 7,000
- Engine
- Airesearch TPE331-5&6SER, 776 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Central Balley Aviation
- Registered owner
- Central Balley Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 1, 2011
- Departed
- Forest City, IA
- Destination
- Forest City, IA
- Flight plan
- Unknown
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
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 1, 2011
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 7,400 total · 240 in this make and model · 280 in the last 90 days · 120 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- KFXY
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 16, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 564 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.