Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
L J Earnst Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Benton, Louisiana 71006
Wednesday, November 14, 2001 9:30 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The agricultural airplane was returning from its first spray load of the day when it impacted trees and a swampy canal while on final approach to land. The pilot radioed to the ground crew that he was inbound for landing and was not heard from again. The airplane impacted trees located on the east side of the canal and the wreckage was found on the west side of the canal. The flap actuator was found in the 10-degree extension setting. Post-accident examination of the wreckage did not reveal any anomalies with the airframe, engine, or propeller that would have affected the aircraft's performance. Toxicology tests detected 0.037 ug/ml of diphenhydramine in the pilot's blood and an unquantified amount of diphenhydramine in his urine. Diphenhydramine (commonly known by the trade name Benadryl) is an over-the-counter antihistamine used in symptomatic management of allergic symptoms and also for its sedative, antitussive and antispasmodic effects. The American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine conducted a study (Effects of Fexofenadine, Diphenhydramine, and Alcohol on Driving Performance) on the effects of diphenhydramine on driving performance. The results of that study indicated that "Participants had significantly better coherence after taking alcohol or fexofenadine (Allegra) than after taking diphenhydramine...After participants took diphenhydramine, driving performance was poorest, indicating that diphenhydramine had a greater impact on driving than alcohol did."
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
in-flight collision with trees while on final approach to land for an undetermined reason.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/14/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 930 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | Benton |
| Event State | LOUISIANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 71006 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | L J Earnst |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | LS69 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 75 |
| Airport Elevation | 165 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 856 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 225 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SHV |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 258 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 16 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 25000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 4 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 16 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 120 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.2 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 179 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 12106 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 14 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1035 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 26 2002 11:02AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Baton Rouge, Louisiana |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N202AT |
| NTSB Number | FTW02LA034 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 137: Agricultural |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Air Tractor |
| Aircraft Model | AT-802A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 802A-0040 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 16500 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 1 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 28 2001 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 331.2 |
| Airframe Hours | 3997.2 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Aeronautical Technologies, Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 5333 East 21st Street |
| Aircraft Owner City | Clovis |
| Aircraft Owner State | NM |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 88101 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | QTEG |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Agriculture |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Aerial Application |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | LS69 |
| Departure City | Benton |
| Departure State | AR |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 910 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | LS69 |
| Destination City | Benton |
| Destination State | AR |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 16 2002 9:47AM |
| User who most recently changed record | SNYG |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |