Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
N/A Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Lakin, Kansas 67860
Monday, August 6, 2012 10:25 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot stated that he had encountered low-level turbulence during his previous agricultural application flights. During the accident flight, he noted continued turbulence and observed powerline obstructions around the field. The pilot then descended the airplane to the field beyond the power lines and leveled out about 3 to 5 feet above the corn. He reported that the airplane experienced some "sink" and that he applied back stick pressure to remain "level." However, the airplane continued to descend, contacted the corn, pitched nose down, and came to rest near the cornfield. The propeller and engine exhibited signs of power production at the time of the accident and postaccident examination revealed no anomalies that would have prevented normal operation before the accident.
The pilot stated that he was sick the weekend before the accident and should have stayed in bed. Additionally, he commented that he had been relocating to a new house where he worked long hours there. The weather at the time had a higher than standard density altitude. However, there was insufficient supporting data to determine the extent to which these issues might have played a part in the pilot's and the airplane's reduced performance during the accident flight.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the corn during an aerial application flight.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/6/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1025 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Lakin |
| Event State | KANSAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 67860 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 375904N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1011936W |
| Event Location Airport | N/A |
| 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 | 954 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 97 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KGCK |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 2882 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 29 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| 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) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 15 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 180 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 14 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 17 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.17 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | KGCK 061454Z 18014G17KT 10SM CLR 27/15 A3017 |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 32223 |
| NTSB Notification Source | ICT FSDO |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 27 2013 5:02PM |
| User who most recently changed record | male |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N365SM |
| NTSB Number | CEN12FA521 |
| 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 | AYRES CORPORATION |
| Aircraft Model | S2R-T34 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | T34-053DC |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| 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 | May 2 2012 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 8369 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | TRI-ROTOR SPRAY & CHEMICAL |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Ulysses |
| Aircraft Owner State | KS |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 67880-8151 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | TRI-ROTOR SPRAY & CHEMICAL |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Ulysses |
| Operator State | KS |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 67880-8151 |
| Operator Code | 71TG |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | 36K |
| Departure City | Lakin |
| Departure State | KS |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1020 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | 36K |
| Destination City | Lakin |
| Destination State | KS |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 21 2013 11:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | male |
| 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 | -- |