- Date
- November 2, 2011, 12:50 local (19:50 UTC)
- Place
- Kahlotus, WA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1206SAyres S2R-600
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 18, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20111102025549A
- Case key
- 82227
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 ground due to his distraction with programming a global positioning system receiver.
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
The pilot was conducting an aerial application flight; he had just completed an application and was proceeding to another nearby field. He diverted his attention to reprogram the cockpit global positioning system (GPS) receiver and failed to retrim the airplane with nose-up trim. While the pilot was reprogramming the GPS receiver, the airplane entered a shallow descent and impacted the top of a small hill.
Factual narrative
The purpose of the flight was agricultural aerial application. The pilot pulled off a field to proceed to the next field 3 miles away. He diverted his attention to reprogram the cockpit GPS (Global Positioning System), and failed to retrim the airplane with nose up trim. While the pilot was reprograming the GPS the airplane entered a shallow descent and impacted the top of a small hill.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1206S
- Reported as
- Ayres S2R-600
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2470R
- Airframe hours
- 4,491
- Engine
- Garrett Type 331-252M, 840 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Faunce Aviation LLC
- Registered owner
- Faunce Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 23, 2011
- Departed
- Kahlotus, WA
- Destination
- Kahlotus, WA
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
- 59
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 10, 2011
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 22,000 total · 11,000 in this make and model · 350 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 7, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.3 MB 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.