No fatalities

1 Aug 2008: Weatherly 201B — Robert Hovden — Creston, IL

Creston, IL, United States

On 1 Aug 2008, a Weatherly 201B operated by Robert Hovden was involved in an aviation accident near Creston, IL. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The accident was caused by the pilot's decision to maneuver the aircraft into unsuitable terrain adjacent to the runway to avoid landing traffic. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 4 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot performing aerial application maneuvers steered his aircraft into a cornfield to avoid an oncoming landing aircraft.

What happened

On August 1, 2008, a Weatherly 201B, registration N2936W, was engaged in an aerial application flight in Creston, Illinois. The pilot initiated a takeoff roll from the south end of a runway. The runway featured a hill located approximately midway through its length, which obstructed the view of the northern end of the runway.

After clearing for traffic, the pilot began the takeoff. As the aircraft approached the crest of the hill, the pilot observed another airplane landing directly in his path. In an effort to avoid a mid-air collision, the pilot steered the aircraft into a cornfield located near the runway. There were no injuries resulting from the event.

Probable cause

The accident was caused by the pilot's decision to maneuver the aircraft into unsuitable terrain adjacent to the runway to avoid landing traffic. Contributing factors included the hill on the runway that obstructed the pilot's visibility of other aircraft and the presence of high vegetation near the runway.

Contributing factors

Causes

Pilot

Other contributing factors

Contributed to outcomeRunway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa