CHI05LA114

The airplane was destroyed and the pilot fatally injured when it struck trees and terrain during an aerial application flight. The airplane came to rest in the field that was to be sprayed about 84 feet from a grouping of trees that had broken branches. No pre-impact anomalies were found with respect to the airplane. Evidence from the accident scene shows that the airplane was travelling in a northeasterly direction. The position of the sun was determined to be 78.4 degrees relative to north, and 15.6 degrees above the horizon.

History of flight

On May 14, 2005, about 0800 central daylight time, a Cessna A188B, N4734Q, piloted by a commercial pilot, was destroyed when it struck trees and terrain while conducting an aerial application flight near Ludell, Kansas. The 14 CFR Part 137 aerial application flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The pilot received fatal injuries. The local flight originated from the Atwood-Rawlins County City-County Airport, near Atwood, Kansas. The exact departure time was not determined.

Personnel information

The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with single engine land and instrument airplane ratings. The pilot also held a second-class medical certificate that was issued on July 2, 2004. The medical certificate listed no limitations.

A review of the pilot's logbook indicated that he had accumulated 526.7 hours of total flight experience, 147.9 hours in the previous 90 days, and 57.3 hours in the previous 30 days. The logbook showed that the pilot had 210 hours total experience in the accident airplane. All except 1.5 hours of flight time recorded since January 14, 2005, was in the accident airplane.

Aircraft information

The airplane was a 1976 Cessna model A188B, serial number 18802502T. The airplane was an all-metal strut braced monoplane designed and built for aerial application operations. The airplane was configured for single-seat operation. A 6-cylinder Continental IO-520 engine producing 300 horsepower powered the airplane.

According to aircraft maintenance records, the airplane had accumulated 4,134.1 hours total time in service as of the most recent annual inspection dated April 8, 2005. The recording tachometer read 4,175.3 hours at the accident site.

Meteorological information

At 0753, the recorded weather at the Goodland Municipal Airport/Renner Field (GLD) located about 40 nautical miles southwest of the accident site was: Winds 250 degrees at 12 knots; Visibility 10 statute miles; Sky condition clear; Temperature 9 degrees Celsius; Dew point 2 degrees Celsius; Altimeter setting 30.18 inches of Mercury.

At 0753, the recorded weather at the McCook Regional Airport (MCK) located about 34 nautical miles north-northeast of the accident site was: Winds 270 degrees at 7 knots; Visibility 10 statute miles; Sky condition clear; Temperature 8 degrees Celsius; Dew point 3 degrees Celsius; Altimeter setting 30.16 inches of Mercury.

According to the United States Naval Observatory Internet site, the position of the sun was 78.4 degrees east of north and 15.6 degrees above the horizon at the time and location of the accident.

Wreckage and impact information

The airplane came to rest in the field that was to be sprayed. Adjacent to the field was a grouping of trees that contained trees with broken branches. One tree was about 30 feet tall and had its top branches broken off. Next to this tree was another tree that had a broken branch. The second tree was about 40 feet tall. The main wreckage was found about 84 feet from the trees that had the broken branches. Between the trees and the main wreckage was an impact crater that contained the propeller. This crater was about 43 feet from the trees. The main wreckage was oriented in an approximately 083 degree direction. The main wreckage was on a line approximately 046 degree from the tree impact.

All of the major aircraft components were accounted for at the scene. The vertical and horizontal stabilizers remained attached to the fuselage tail cone. The elevator and rudder remained attached to their respective surfaces. The tail cone was separated from the forward portion of the fuselage.

The outboard approximately 70 inches of the left wing was separated from the remainder of that wing. A portion of the aileron remained attached to the separated portion of the wing. The wing strut remained connected at the wing and fuselage attachments. The leading edge of the wing was crushed aft.

The right wing was intact. The leading edge was crushed aft. The wing strut remained connected to the wing attachment and was separated at the fuselage. The aileron remained attached to the wing.

Examination of the control system revealed cable breaks in the aileron and flap control systems. All of the breaks had signatures consistent with overload failure. The control cables from the tail surfaces were intact from the respective controls on the cockpit to the surfaces.

The propeller was recovered from the initial impact crater and was about 1.5 feet below ground level. Both blades of the propeller exhibited chord-wise scratching. One blade was bent aft near the root. The other blade exhibited S-shaped bending.

The number 6 cylinder of the engine had received impact damage. Each engine cylinder was examined using a borescope and no anomalies were detected. Both magnetos produced spark at all leads.

Medical and pathological information

The Rawlins County Coroner arranged an autopsy of the pilot. The autopsy was conducted on May 15, 2005.

A Final Forensic Toxicology Fatal Accident Report prepared by the Federal Aviation Administration listed negative results for all tests performed.

Additional information

The FAA, Cessna Aircraft, and Teledyne Continental Motors were parties to the investigation.