Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Chowchilla, California 93610
Saturday, August 5, 2006 4:08 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Near the end of an aerial application flight, the pilot maneuvered the airplane 1/3-mile northwest of the designated field and began reversing course. A flagger in the field reported observing the airplane's main light turn on, which was unusual because the airplane was neither over a designated spray field nor an airstrip. Thereafter, the airplane rolled completely inverted and impacted the ground. About 6 weeks earlier, the pilot had experienced pain related to the presence of a kidney stone. He reported pain in his abdominal area, in his right flank, and above his hip. The pilot was taken to the hospital and was diagnosed as having 2 kidney stones; one in the ureter and one nearer the kidney. Days later, the pilot passed 2 fragments of the ureter stone; however, the one nearer the kidney was likely still there. When the pilot reported for work on the morning of the accident day, company personnel observed him rubbing his sides above his hip, indicative of the remaining stone inducing pain and discomfort. The pilot reported that he felt somewhat uncomfortable and he felt "some pain in his sides." The operator reported that the activation switch for the airplane's lights is located on the flight control stick. The operator simulated holding onto the control stick and doubling over. When these actions were performed, the airplane was capable of quickly rolling inverted. The pilot likely experienced a significant incapacitating event due to pain from the kidney stone, which resulted in his losing control of the airplane.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's loss of control while maneuvering resulting from an incapacitating physiological event.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/5/2006 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 408 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Chowchilla |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 93610 |
| Event Date Year | 2006 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 370208N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1202127W |
| 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 | 353 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 290 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MCE |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 156 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 11 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 13 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 310 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.89 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| 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) | 23077 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 6 2006 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 28 2008 3:59PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Fresno, CA |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N502WQ |
| NTSB Number | LAX06LA255 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 137: Agricultural |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Air Tractor |
| Aircraft Model | AT-502 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 502-0085 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 9500 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 7000 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | -- |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Edward E. Thiel |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Chowchilla |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 93610 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Thiel Air Care, Inc. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | P.O. Box 605 |
| Operator City | Chowchilla |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 93610 |
| Operator Code | T9DG |
| 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 | 2O6 |
| Departure City | Chowchilla |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 340 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | 2O6 |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering - aerial application |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 8 2008 4:50PM |
| User who most recently changed record | COOS |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |