MIA02LA090

While maneuvering during an aerial application the airplane impacted into a swampy area. The airplane had been seeding for about 2.5 hours before the accident occurred. According to the pilot he was on the last leg of seeding a field after sunset had already occurred, and the next thing he knew he had flown into the ground and crashed. He said that there was nothing wrong with the airframe or engine. An examination of the airframe and engine, after the accident, revealed no discrepancies. In addition, at the time of the accident the airplane was without an annual inspection, and the pilot of N70213 did not have a current commercial pilot's certificate due to the fact that his medical certificate had expired. The pilot/operator was given an NTSB Pilot/Operator Accident Report Form 6120.1/2 by the FAA inspector, but a completed form was not received.

On April 29, 2002, about 2010 eastern daylight time, a Cessna A188B, N70213, registered to an individual, impacted the ground while maneuvering during an aerial application, near Myakka City, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. No flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 137 agricultural flight. The airplane was destroyed. The commercial-rated pilot reported serious injuries. The flight had departed from a private airstrip at 1740.

Witnesses working near the crash site stated that during a seeding operation the airplane impacted into a swampy area. The airplane had been seeding for about 2.5 hours before the accident occurred. According to the FAA inspector's statement, the pilot "experienced controlled flight into terrain," during the agricultural spraying flight. The pilot said that he was on the last leg of seeding a field after sunset had already occurred, and the next thing he knew he had flown into the ground and crashed. He said that there was nothing wrong with the airframe or engine. An examination of the airframe and engine, after the accident, revealed no discrepancies. In addition, at the time of the accident the airplane was without an annual inspection, and that the pilot of N70213 did not have a current commercial pilot's certificate due to the fact that his medical certificate had expired. The pilot/operator was given an NTSB Pilot/Operator Accident Report Form 6120.1/2 by the FAA inspector, but a completed form was not received.