- Date
- August 17, 1982, 18:05 local (23:05 UTC)
- Place
- Watertown, SD
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N154TPiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 17, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820817038779A
- Case key
- 72975
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
The pilot was spraying a sunflower field next to an alfalfa field that was being irrigated. As he pulled up from his third swath run, he began a procedure turn-around over the alfalfa field. During the turn, the plane rolled to an inverted attitude, then pitched down and crashed. An investigation revealed that the turn was made downwind from the irrigation sprinklers. The humidity in the vicinity of the turn was estimated to be about 80%, whereas the humidity over the sunflower field was estimated to be about 40%. The elevation of the crash site was 1860 ft and the temperature and altimeter setting were about 85 deg and 30.12, respectively. An examination of the wreckage revealed no preimpact failures.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N154T
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-2268
- Airframe hours
- 4,420
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Riggin Spray Service
- Registered owner
- Morris Riggin
- Departed
- Watertown, SD
- Destination
- Watertown, SD
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
- 33
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 705 total · 240 in this make and model · 125 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Temperature
- 185 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
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 N154T · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.