Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Drew, Mississippi 38737
Tuesady, July 26, 2011 7:05 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The non-instrument rated pilot departed on an agricultural aerial application flight in instrument meteorological conditions. There was no record of the pilot obtaining a weather briefing or filing a flight plan; however, company personnel stated that he obtained a computer weather briefing before departing. About 55 minutes after the flight’s departure, a friend of the pilot observed the airplane flying over a town about 7 miles from the crash site. He stated that the weather was very foggy. The wreckage was located about 13 minutes later in a rice field by a plantation employee. The employee and the plantation owner also stated that it was very foggy with about 150 feet forward visibility. Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane impacted the ground in a left wing low, nose down attitude. Examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane was not equipped for flight in instrument meteorological conditions. It is likely that the flight encountered dense fog, and the pilot lost visual reference outside and was unable to see the terrain prior to the airplane colliding with it.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's improper decision to conduct a visual flight rules aerial application flight in instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in an in flight collision with the ground while maneuvering.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/26/2011 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 705 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Drew |
| Event State | MISSISSIPPI |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 38737 |
| Event Date Year | 2011 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 334822N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0902428W |
| 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 | 653 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 139 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GWO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 162 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 25 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 200 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 23 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 190 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.9 |
| 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) | 29681 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Southern ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 23 2012 7:33PM |
| User who most recently changed record | snyg |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8525L |
| NTSB Number | ERA11LA424 |
| 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 | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | AIR TRACTOR INC |
| Aircraft Model | AT-602 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 602-1133 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 12500 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 1 |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 16 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 162 |
| Airframe Hours | 2607 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | STURDIVANT BROTHERS FLYING SERVICE INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | GLENDORA |
| Aircraft Owner State | MS |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 38928-0209 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | STURDIVANT BROTHERS FLYING SERVICE INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | GLENDORA |
| Operator State | MS |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 38928-0209 |
| Operator Code | ZNYG |
| 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) | Aerial Application |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | NONE |
| Departure City | Glendora |
| Departure State | MS |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 605 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | NONE |
| Destination City | Drew |
| Destination State | MS |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 5 2012 3:38PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |