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Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

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July 12, 1993 · Piper PA-25-235 · N8906L

Clarence, MO

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
July 12, 1993
Injury Outcomes
1 injury (1 minor injury)
Location
Clarence, MO
Aircraft
Piper PA-25-235
Tail Number
N8906L
Operator
Rufener Spraying Service
Injuries
Minor
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
CHI93LA251

AFTER SURVEYING FIELD FOR OBSTACLES, THE PILOT COMPLETED AN AG RUN ABOUT 105 MILES PER HOUR. THE PILOT PROCEEDED TO SHUT OFF THE SPRAY BOOMS BEFORE THE REQUIRED CHANGE IN ATTITUDE TO EXIT THE FIELD WAS MADE. WHILE LOOKING OVER THE RIGHT WING ROOT TO BE SURE THAT A TREE HAD BEEN CLEARED, SO HE WAS ABLE TO START AN AG-TURN, THE PILOT HEARD 'A SOUND SIMILAR TO A SAW BLADE IN A SAW MILL.' HE LOOKED FORWARD TO FIND THE BRANCHES AND LEAVES OF THE TREE HE THOUGHT HE HAD CLEARED BY 10 FEET OR MORE BEING SLUNG FROM THE PROPELLER. THE AIRCRAFT'S LANDING GEAR, HOPPER, COWLING, PROPELLER, WINGS AND BOTTOM SKIN WERE DAMAGED AS THE AIRCRAFT SLID TO A STOP IN A PEA FIELD DURING A CONTROLLED CRASH LANDING.

NTSB Probable Cause

IS THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER CLEARANCE. A FACTOR TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE TREES AT THE END OF THE FIELD TO BE SPRAYED.

Full Narrative

On July 12, 1993, about 1000 central daylight time, a Piper, PA-25-235; N8906L, sustained substantial damage when it struck a tree and subsequently crashed into a field during an aerial application flight near Clarence, Missouri. The flight was operating under 14 CFR Part 137 in visual meteorological conditions. The private pilot received minor injuries. The pilot was spraying an herbicide during an aerial application flight in Clarence, Missouri. Having just completed two "clean- up" passes in an adjacent field, the pilot proceeded to his target field. After circling the field to look for obstacles, the pilot completed a west to east run. The airplane turned and set up for an east-west pass. Lining up with his flagman and the tallest tree in the tree line along the west end of the field, the pilot proceeded to make a standard 900 yard ag run. The pilot completed the pass at approximately 105 miles per hour, shut off the spray booms before the required change in attitude to exit the field was made. While looking over the right wing root to be sure the tree had been cleared, so he was able to start an ag-turn, the pilot heard " a sound similar to a saw blade in a saw mill." He looked forward to find "foreign matter' being slung from the propeller. This foreign matter was the branches and leaves of the tree he thought he had cleared by 10 feet or more. The pilot attempted to control a chemical leak from the boom, to no avail, and made a controlled forced landing in the field. The aircraft's landing gear, hopper, cowling, propeller, wings and bottom skin were all damaged as the aircraft slid to a stop in the pea field.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time10:00 CDT
Nearest Airport0nm
Runway0
Flight Plan FiledNone
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftPiper PA-25-235
Tail NumberN8906L
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
OperatorRufener Spraying Service
Operating RulePart 137
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsLycoming · O-540-B2C5 · Reciprocating · 235
Seats1

People & Injuries

Injury Summary1 injury (1 minor injury)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor1
Uninjured0
Total1
Crew 1Age 57 · Second Class

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind90° @ 10 kt
Visibility20 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point54
Altimeter30.00 inHg
Observation Time15:45

Appendix: Source Data