Spraying (Agricultural)

Operator:

Registration:

ZK-EUG

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Gisborne District Council

Schedule:

Rongoio Station - Rongoio Station

MSN:

284

YOM:

1982

Location:

Rongoio Station

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

10000

Captain / Total hours on type:

8500.00

Circumstances:

The pilot was completing spraying mission in the region of Rongoio Station, about 18 nm north of Wairoa. In flight, control was lost and the aircraft crashed, bursting into flames. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

Probable cause:

The following findings were reported:
- The pilot suffered an acute myocardial infarction while in flight,
- The effects of the myocardial infarction probably led initially to loss of situational awareness and loss of control of the aircraft,
- The pilot may have realised at a late stage that a collision with the ground was imminent, but was unable to recover from the situation in time to avoid it.

Final Report:

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R near Kurgan

Date & Time: Jul 16, 1995

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

RA-81506

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

1G208-06

YOM:

1984

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was completing the 8th sortie of the day, consisting of a spraying mission over a wooded area located near Kurgan. En route, the engine failed and the crew elected to make an emergency landing in a pasture when the aircraft collided with telephone poles and a stone wall and crashed. The captain while slightly injured while the copilot escaped uninjured. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Engine failure for unknown reasons.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R in Kanlykul

Date & Time: Jun 17, 1995

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

UK-33058

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Karakalpakstan (Qaraqalpaqstan Respublikasi)

Schedule:

Kanlykul - Kanlykul

MSN:

1G218-45

YOM:

1986

Location:

Kanlykul

Country:

Uzbekistan

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On a crop spraying flight for the sovkhoz (state farm) Sry-Altyn (Kanlykul district of Karakalpakstan) when the engine lost power shortly after take off from an airstrip located some 43 km northwest from Nukus. At a height of some 15-20 metres, the crew attempted a forced landing in a field when the left main gear struck a 2.5 metres high dam and the aircraft suffered substantial damage. Both pilots escaped unhurt.

Probable cause:

Engine failure for unknown reasons.

Crash of a Fletcher FU-24-954 in Lake Grassmere: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 7, 1995 at 1100 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

ZK-EMU

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Marlborough District Council

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Lake Grassmere - Lake Grassmere

MSN:

274

YOM:

1980

Location:

Lake Grassmere

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

4930

Captain / Total hours on type:

235.00

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from a field located in Lake Grassmere, while completing the 8th sortie of the morning, the pilot lost control of the airplane that crashed on hilly terrain. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was killed.

Probable cause:

Pilot incapacitation was the probable cause of this accident. The incapacitation of this pilot was an unusual event, and could not have been predicted or prevented by any reasonable or effective medical screening process.

Final Report:

Crash of a Fletcher FU-24-950 near Taupo

Date & Time: May 8, 1995 at 0720 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

ZK-EMB

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

252

YOM:

1978

Location:

Taupo

Waikato Regional Council

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

332

Captain / Total hours on type:

44.00

Circumstances:

Sole on board, the pilot was engaged in a crop spraying mission in the region of Taupo. Shortly after takeoff, while climbing at low height, the pilot initiated a right turn when the aircraft lost height and crashed in a pasture about 11 km northeast of Taupo. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was seriously injured.

Probable cause:

The following findings were reported:
- During a turning manoeuvre at a low height, the aircraft stalled and squashed onto the ground in a wing level attitude, at a high rate of descent,
- The height of the aircraft above the ground at the time afforded the pilot little opportunity for recovery,
- The pilot probably reverted to an unsafe flying practice he had adopted during his earlier training,
- The unsafe practice had been recognised by a previous instructor who, when not successful in correcting it, had discontinued the pilot's training,
- The final instructor had no reason to be concerned about the pilot's flying as he had exhibited no dangerous trends and flew as instructed,
- Had the final instructor been aware of a previous trait of the pilot to perform unsafe manoeuvres he might have been able to correct it,
- The causal factors in this accident were a lack of continuity in training records, pressure the pilot believed he was under to achieve maximum productivity in his flying with a minimum of delay, the pilot's apparent refusal to accept cautions in relation to his ability, and the Fletcher aircraft's performance during the execution of a limit manoeuvre too close to terrain.

Final Report:

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R in Qom

Date & Time: Apr 19, 1995

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

SP-WNY

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Site:

MSN:

1G155-28

YOM:

1974

Location:

Qom

Country:

Iran

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R in Tyugalbuga

Date & Time: Apr 13, 1995

Type of aircraft:

Cheboksary Aviation Enterprise - Cheboksarskoe Aviapredpriatie

Operator:

Registration:

RA-40845

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Site:

Schedule:

Tyugalbuga - Tyugalbuga

MSN:

1G174-23

YOM:

1977

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On takeoff for a crop-spraying flight from an airstrip near Tyugalbuga (Novaya Malykla district of the Ulyanovsk region) with tail and cross wind when deviated from the take off direction to the left. The aircraft veered off runway, ran into a one meter high dung heap and came to rest against a pile of manure. Both pilots escaped unhurt while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver near Yea

Date & Time: Mar 16, 1995 at 1400 LT

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver

Operator:

Leafair

Registration:

VH-IDB

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Yea - Yea

MSN:

883

YOM:

1956

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

1468

Captain / Total hours on type:

244.00

Circumstances:

The pilot reported that the flight departed from an agricultural strip located in a valley surrounded by hills. The aircraft carried a full load of superphosphate to be spread on a property approximately one mile from the strip. The pilot had previously surveyed the property and the flight path. He had selected a route that took him up through a valley between hills and then over a low ridge to the property. After take off the pilot set climb power and selected climb flap in order to follow his predetermined route to the property. The pilot advised that as the aircraft flew towards the low ridge it appeared to be descending rather than climbing. He elected to carryout a partial dump and to apply extra flap to clear a clump of trees. The speed deteriorated to 60 knots from the initial climb speed of 70 knots. The pilot did not increase power. Some 300 metres later another partial dump was carried out to clear another tree. As that tree was cleared the pilot again initiated a partial dump and turned to the right in an endeavour to escape from a rapidly deteriorating situation. Immediately the turn was initiated the right wing dropped and the aircraft stalled, impacting the ground onto the right wing and cartwheeled to a stop some 50 metres from the initial impact. The company chief pilot examined the accident site and advised that the flight path through the valley was in a classic false horizon situation whereby the surrounding hills caused the pilot to consider that the flight path was over flat terrain whilst in reality the terrain was rising approximately 5 degrees up to the ridge. The chief pilot also advised that the aircraft would not have been able to outclimb the terrain at high gross weight with only cruise power set.

Probable cause:

Examination of the wreckage did not disclose any pre-impact factors that may have contributed to the accident. Weather and pilot workload were not considered to be factors in this accident.
The pilot had flown approximately 1200 hours on agricultural operations and 244 hours on the type. His loss of situational awareness could be due in part to his relatively low experience.
The following factors were considered relevant to the development of the accident:
- At high weight, and with climb power applied, the pilot flew the aircraft on an inappropriate flight path into rising terrain.
- The pilot did not take appropriate remedial actions when the aircraft could not outclimb the terrain and the aircraft speed deteriorated.
- The pilot lost control of the aircraft while attempting a turn at low speed.

Final Report:

Crash of a Fletcher FU-24-400 in Mangakino

Date & Time: Feb 9, 1995

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Jetspread

Registration:

ZK-BIF

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Mangakino - Mangakino

MSN:

YOM:

1956

Location:

Mangakino

Waikato Regional Council

Country:

Region: