Spraying (Agricultural)

Crashed in unknown circumstances in Puhoi while conducting a crop spraying mission. The pilot was injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

At liftoff, the single engine airplane struck a stone wall and crashed inverted. The pilot was injured and the airplane was damaged beyond repair.

Lodestar ZK-BMC was operating several topdressing sorties in the area of Bideford. On the morning of October 20, the plane departed at 05:15 on the first sortie of the day. The operation proceeded normally, each flight taking 17 to 18 minutes to complete. At 06:40 hours it was apparent that a front was approaching from the south. The pilot decided to carry out one more flight and departed Masterton at 07:00. The aircraft struck a hill 1,350 feet (410 m) amsl, 8 feet below the crest in drizzle and poor visibility. Both pilots were killed.

Crashed in unknown circumstances at Ngataki while performing fumigations. The pilot H. J. Duinstra was killed.

ZK-BHT had been fitted with a 6.6 hp Kohler 4-stroke, fan cooled, Auxiliary Power Unit. The purpose of this unit was to drive the aircraft's spray system. This arrangement was used with only moderate success in the application of non-inflammable liquids from the air. After trials final approval for the use of the system was granted by the Airworthiness Division of the CAA. At some point of time after the 15th of January 1957 the aircraft operator began to use the aircraft for the application, for burning-off purposes, of diesel fuel. At no point, it seems, did they inform or seek the approval of the Airworthiness Division of their intention to use the aircraft to spray an inflammable liquid. At 1345 on the day of the accident diesel oil was loaded into the plane in order to disperse the oil on a scrub-covered ravine on a farm in the Omahina Valley near Waverley. After the fifth sortie the pilot told his loader driver that during the flight he had operated the hopper jettison control briefly in order to put a heaver deposit of diesel on an area of thick scrub. The cockpit, he said, had immediately filled with dense, black smoke making him think the aircraft had caught fire. An inspection of the interior of the fuselage aft of the hopper showed that it was coated in a film of diesel oil extending back to the tail cone. There was an oil film also on the underside of the fuselage.The two mopped up the oil as best they could, tightened up a leaking connection in the supply pipe to one of the spray booms, and the operation was continued. Two further sorties were carried out uneventfully but on the eighth sortie as the Fletcher was climbing out of the ravine in order to land on the strip, which was located some 300 to 400 feet above the level of the ravine, two witnesses who had been observing the operation for some time saw a plume of flame being emitted from the underside of the fuselage about midway between the nose and the tail. At this point the aircraft was only seconds away from landing. The plane leveled out and turning 90 degrees to the right disappeared behind a ridge. After turning away from the approach to the airstrip the aircraft plowed through trees on steep tree-covered slope, then dived almost vertically to the ground before subsiding to a more level position. The right wing was detached and a small fire broke out in the engine bay. This ignited fuel flowing out of the broken fuel line from the right wing tank which in turn was augmented by diesel released from the hopper when the jettison system was sheared off. Also adding to the blaze was a quantity of petrol from the tank of the Kohler APU when the vent pipe from the small tank was broken off.

Crashed in unknown circumstances while conducting a crop spraying flight. The pilot, sole on board, was injured and the aircraft was written off.

The single engine aircraft departed from a farm-strip at 1325LT for a local topdressing mission, carrying 712 kg of lime. Fifteen minutes later, while flying at low altitude in a cul-de-sac, the pilot encountered difficulties to gain height. The aircraft then made a turn, struck a tree, crashed in flames and came to rest upside down. The aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire and the pilot, Kenneth Simpson, was killed.

Crashed in a field located 10 km from Rauch while conducting a crop spraying mission on behalf of the Argentinian Ministry of Agriculture. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and all three crew members were injured.

N4832V departed Masters Field, Miami, Florida, for Boca Raton Airport at 0448, August 8, 1956. Aboard the aircraft were Pilot Charles W. Day, Copilot Rae F. Howry, and three company insecticide-mixer personnel. The purpose of the direct 36-mile flight was the movement of the aircraft, crew and mixer personnel to the Boca Raton Airport from which the spraying operation was to be conducted. The takeoff of N4832V was followed immediately by another company operated C-82, N4829V and the two aircraft proceeded at an altitude of approximately 500 feet. N4829V flew to the left, slightly above and to the rear of N4832V until reaching Boca Raton. Both aircraft arrived over the city of Boca Raton shortly after 0500 and proceeded north and west the mile or so to the airport. Dawn was breaking and the runways, although unlighted, were plainly visible. N4832V made a eight turn for approach to runway 04. After passing over more than one-third of the length of the 5,000-foot runway a go-around was initiated. The aircraft then Immediately went into a climbing left turn. During this turn the aircraft stalled and crashed, killing all five occupants.

The crew was performing a crop spraying mission at Townsend, Montana. While flying at low height, the left engine lost power and eventually detached. The crew elected to make an emergency landing but the aircraft crashed. Both occupants were slightly injured while the airplane was written off.