Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Creston Muni Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Corning, Iowa 50841
Saturday, August 15, 2009 11:16 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The flight was established in an extended climb on a west-northwest course toward the intended destination as it approached a line of thunderstorms. Radar data depicted the airplane passing through 12,000 feet mean sea level (msl) and continuing to 16,000 feet msl over a 9-minute period. After reaching 16,000 feet, the flight altered course several times, apparently in an attempt to clear the line of thunderstorms. The maximum altitude return was 17,700 feet msl during the flight. About 1-1/2 minutes before the accident, the flight reversed to an easterly course and descended from 17,400 feet msl to 15,200 feet msl. The airplane momentarily climbed to 16,300 feet msl during that time. About 50 seconds prior to the accident, the airplane entered a descent from 13,400 feet msl on a steady southeast course. The descent continued until impact. The airplane impacted an open field. It was fragmented during the impact sequence. Sections of all flight control surfaces were observed at the accident site. No malfunctions consistent with a preimpact failure were observed during the postaccident examination. The radar data indicated that the pilot operated the unpressurized airplane above 12,000 feet msl for approximately 24 minutes, and above 15,000 feet msl for at least 14 minutes of that time. Federal Aviation Administration publications note that at cabin altitudes between 12,000 and 15,000 feet "judgment, memory, alertness, coordination and ability to make calculations are impaired." They also stated that "pilot performance can seriously deteriorate within 15 minutes at 15,000 feet."
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The in-flight loss of control due to the pilot's impairment as a result of hypoxia. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to operate the unpressurized airplane at an altitude requiring supplemental oxygen without having any oxygen available.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/15/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1116 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Corning |
| Event State | IOWA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 50841 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 405900N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0943400W |
| Event Location Airport | Creston Muni |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | CSQ |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 10 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 1300 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1115 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CSQ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1300 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3200 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| 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) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 20 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 140 |
| 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) | 29.94 |
| 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) | 26719 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA-Des Moines FSDO |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 19 2010 9:48AM |
| User who most recently changed record | bowl |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N802LL |
| NTSB Number | CEN09LA527 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | AIR TRACTOR INC |
| Aircraft Model | AT-802A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 802A-0023 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 16000 |
| 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 | Mar 19 2009 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 3118 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | RUSTYS FLYING SERVICE |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | D HANIS |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 78850-6819 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | RUSTYS FLYING SERVICE |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | D HANIS |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 78850-6819 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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) | Positioning |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | TIP |
| Departure City | Rantoul |
| Departure State | IL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 930 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | ONL |
| Destination City | O'Neill |
| Destination State | NE |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 9 2010 2:28PM |
| User who most recently changed record | sort |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |