Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Pikesville, North Carolina 27863
Wednesday, September 25, 2002 17:10 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot stated that he was contracted to spray the Wayne Company Wildlife Club Pond which was dry and he surveyed the area on the day of the accident noting obstacles around the lake. After surveying the area he returned to where the airplane was based, loaded chemicals into the hopper tank, and departed. He reported that he sprayed all the big parts of the lake and proceeded to spray all the small parts of the lake (bends, coves, etc). While he was spraying one of the coves, he observed just before impact a 1/4 inch diameter cable that was stretched across the coves; the cable was approximately 15-20 feet above ground level. The tail wheel of the airplane collided with the cable which separated from one of the ends where it was connected to a tree. The flight continued and the cable wrapped around the tail damaging the elevator flight controls, vertical stabilizer, and right elevator. The flight continued and the airplane crashed in a corn field. The pilot advised the FAA inspector that there was no airframe or engine malfunction prior to the cable strike. Examination of the accident site and the airplane by the FAA inspector revealed that the airplane collided with a .250 inch diameter unmarked cable that stretched between two trees of the southeast cove; the cable remained secured to one of the trees. Examination of the airplane revealed that the right horizontal stabilizer and elevator were separated, and the forward spar of the vertical stabilizer was fractured. The rear spar of the vertical stabilizer was not fractured.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The inability of the pilot to see the .250 inch diameter unmarked cable resulting in the in-flight collision with the cable and substantial damage to the airplane.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/25/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1710 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Pikesville |
| Event State | NORTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 27863 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 352659N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0775059W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KGSB |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.09 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 12611 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 16 2003 4:27PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N21689 |
| NTSB Number | MIA02CA174 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 137: Agricultural |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | -- |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 188B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 18800960 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3800 |
| 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 | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Daniel A. Lancaster |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | -- |
| Aircraft Owner State | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Country | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | -- |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Wayne Aerial Crop Spraying |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Mount Olive |
| Operator State | NC |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | WY7G |
| 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 | -- |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | KGWW |
| Departure City | Goldsboro |
| Departure State | NC |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | -- |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 6 2002 10:02AM |
| User who most recently changed record | KENJ |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |