- Date
- May 1, 1983, 07:50 local (14:50 UTC)
- Place
- Gilroy, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1785SAero Commander 600 S-2D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830501016769A
- Case key
- 23692
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
Prior to takeoff, the acft was fully fueled with 100 gal of aviation gasoline & was loaded with 300 gal of non-toxic fungicidal mix. The plt took off, flew aprx 5 mi to a field, and after circling over the field, made 2 swath runs. During a procedure turn after the 2nd swath run, the engine lost power. Subsequently, the acft crashed in a steep, nose down attitude. An investigaiton revealed that a portion of the #5 cylinder was missing & was not with the main wreckage. A visual exam of the fracture surface indicated evidence of fatigue.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1785S
- Reported as
- Aero Commander 600 S-2D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 600-1406D
- Airframe hours
- 6,000
- Engine
- P&W R-1340-AN1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Shelton Cropdusting, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 8, 1982 · 80 hours before
- Departed
- Q99 · San Martin, CA
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
- 27
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 540 total · 132 in this make and model · 450 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SJC, 28 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.