On June 17, 1993, a Cessna T-188C (registration N9952J) operated by Lohse Flying Service was involved in an aviation accident near Augusta, MT. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during a turn-around maneuver while diverting attention from flight path control, which resulted in an impact with terrain. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An agricultural aircraft lost airspeed while turning away from rising terrain, leading to a collision with a hillside despite the pilot's attempts to dump the load and apply full power.
What happened
The pilot was conducting an aerial application flight when he initiated a swath run directed toward rising terrain. During this phase of the operation, the pilot began a turn-around maneuver. As he executed this turn, his attention shifted to maintaining visual contact with the spraying area. This diversion of focus contributed to the aircraft losing airspeed.
Upon realizing the loss of speed, the pilot applied full power and attempted to jettison the chemical load to reduce weight. However, he was unable to dump the chemicals before the aircraft impacted a hill.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during a turn-around maneuver while diverting attention from flight path control, which resulted in an impact with terrain.
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