- Date
- July 20, 2009, 06:15 local (12:15 UTC)
- Place
- Rockland, ID
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N7813TWsk-Pzl Meilec PZL M18B
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 19, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20090720012869A
- Case key
- 74330
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 failure to maintain clearance from the terrain during an aerial application reversal turn.
Findings · 3
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 agricultural aerial application flight near hilly terrain, the pilot pulled up at the end of an application run in order to execute his reversal turn. During the pull-up/turn sequence, the airplane encountered a localized wind shear, which resulted in the airplane's nose dropping down and to the right. Although the pilot attempted a recovery, he did not have enough altitude to do so, and therefore the airplane impacted the terrain. The pilot reported that there was no indication of problems with the flight controls or the engine. The impact sequence resulted in substantial damage to both the fuselage and the wings.
Factual narrative
During an agricultural aerial application flight near hilly terrain, the pilot pulled up at the end of an application run in order to execute his reversal turn. During the pull-up/turn sequence, the airplane encountered a localized wind shear, which resulted in the airplane's nose dropping down and to the right. Although the pilot attempted a recovery, he did not have enough altitude to do so, and therefore the airplane impacted the terrain. The pilot reported that there was no indication of problems with the flight controls or the engine. The impact sequence resulted in substantial damage to both the fuselage and the wings.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7813T
- Reported as
- Wsk-Pzl Meilec PZL M18B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1Z026-27
- Engine
- Airesearch TPE331 SERIES, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Agrijet Inc
- Registered owner
- Agrijet Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- U36 · Aberdeen, ID
- Destination
- U36 · Aberdeen, ID
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
- 56
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 14,000 total · 800 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 11, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 412 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.