Piper PA-18 N154T

Summary

On 17 August 1982 at about 23:05 local time, a Piper PA-18 registered N154T, operated by Riggin Spray Service, was involved in an accident near Watertown, South Dakota, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

17 August 1982 at 23:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Watertown, South Dakota, United States

Coordinates

44.9103, -97.1591

Aircraft

Piper PA-18

Registration

N154T

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Riggin Spray Service

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Watertown → Watertown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN82FTK06

1 person died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT WAS SPRAYING A SUNFLOWER FIELD NEXT TO AN ALFALFA FIELD THAT WAS BEING IRRIGATED. AS HE PULLED UP FROM HIS THIRD SWATH RUN, HE BEGAN A PROCEDURE TURN-AROUND OVER THE ALFALFA FIELD. DURING THE TURN, THE PLANE ROLLED TO AN INVERTED ATTITUDE, THEN PITCHED DOWN AND CRASHED. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE TURN WAS MADE DOWNWIND FROM THE IRRIGATION SPRINKLERS. THE HUMIDITY IN THE VICINITY OF THE TURN WAS ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT 80%, WHEREAS THE HUMIDITY OVER THE SUNFLOWER FIELD WAS ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT 40%. THE ELEVATION OF THE CRASH SITE WAS 1860 FT AND THE TEMPERATURE AND ALTIMETER SETTING WERE ABOUT 85 DEG AND 30.12, RESPECTIVELY. AN EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED NO PREIMPACT FAILURES.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.