History of Flight
On August 15, 2009, at 1116 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-802A, registration N802LL, operated by an unnamed agricultural operator, was destroyed during an in-flight collision with terrain near Corning, Iowa. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan, with visual meteorological conditions prevailing at the accident site. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries.
The flight departed Rantoul National Aviation Center Airport (TIP), Rantoul, Illinois, around 0930, with an intended destination of O'Neill Municipal Airport (ONL), O'Neill, Nebraska, for refueling. The ultimate destination was Napoleon, North Dakota. The aircraft was reported overdue by the operator at about 2030, and an Alert Notice (ALNOT) was issued at 2136. Local authorities were notified at 0001 on August 16, but searches during the night were unsuccessful. The wreckage was located at 0726 on August 16 via daylight aerial search.
Radar data showed the flight established on a west-northwest course, climbing gradually across south-central Iowa. At 1044, the aircraft was at 11,200 feet msl, about 8 miles south of Chariton, Iowa. By 1053, it climbed through 12,500 feet msl near Osceola, Iowa. The climb continued, reaching 16,000 feet msl around 1105, about 3 miles south of Creston, Iowa. Shortly after, the airplane turned northwest, then left 90 degrees to a southwest course at 1108, then right to a westerly course around 1111, passing through 17,000 feet msl. About 1114, the flight reversed course to a southeasterly heading and began descending. At 1114, the aircraft was at 17,400 feet msl. By 1115, it completed a 180-degree turn and descended to about 15,200 feet msl, then gained about 1,000 feet before a final descent. Altitude data indicated 16,300 feet msl at 1115:23, 13,400 feet at 1115:46, and 11,500 feet at 1116:00. The final radar point at 1116:27 showed 3,800 feet msl, about 0.16 miles northwest of the accident site.
The aircraft impacted an open field about 8 miles east of Corning. The debris path was oriented easterly, approximately 585 feet long, and the airplane was fragmented during impact. The elevation of the accident site was about 1,265 feet.
Personnel Information
The pilot, aged 60, held a commercial pilot certificate with single- and multi-engine land airplane ratings and a helicopter rating. He was issued a second-class medical certificate without limitations on April 20, 2009, reporting 29,200 total flight hours with 600 hours in the previous 6 months. A recovered logbook showed a total of 32,112.5 hours, with the most recent entry on April 1, 2009, noting a 1-hour flight and a successful flight review (BFR). Between June 1, 2008, and March 1, 2009, the pilot logged 1,190 hours, all in agricultural operations. The operator reported the pilot had 1,220 hours total in AT-802 airplanes and over 400 hours in the previous 90 days, all in type.
Aircraft Information
The accident aircraft was a 1995 Air Tractor AT-802A, serial number 802A-0023, a single-place, tailwheel-equipped airplane used in agricultural operations. It was powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-65R turboprop engine, rated at 1,295 shaft horsepower. An annual inspection was completed on March 19, 2009, with 3,117 hours total time on the airframe and engine at that time.
Meteorological Information
Weather conditions near the accident site were reported by three AWOS stations. At Creston Municipal Airport (CSQ), about 10 miles east-northeast, at 1115: wind from 140 degrees at 8 knots, visibility 10 miles, scattered clouds at 3,200 and 5,000 feet agl, temperature 23°C, dew point 20°C, altimeter 29.94 inHg. At Schenck Field Airport (ICL), 26 miles southwest: wind from 160 degrees at 5 knots, visibility 10 miles, scattered clouds at 5,000 feet agl, temperature 24°C, dew point 20°C, altimeter 29.91 inHg. At Red Oak Municipal Airport (RDK), 31 miles west: wind from 090 degrees at 10 knots, visibility 7 miles, scattered clouds at 2,100 feet agl, temperature 22°C, dew point 21°C, altimeter 29.89 inHg.
NEXRAD radar from Des Moines at 1055 showed a north-south oriented line of thunderstorms about 8 miles wide, extending from central Adams County through Taylor County, Iowa, into northern Missouri, with the northern end near Corning. Additional echoes of equal or greater intensity extended north of Adams County. An image at 1159 showed the line at the eastern boundaries of Adams and Taylor counties, about 10 miles wide, with intensity near the accident site remaining similar.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane impacted open rolling terrain on an easterly course at about 1,265 feet elevation. The debris path was approximately 585 feet long and 230 feet wide, with an initial impact ground scar about 40 feet long. The airframe was fragmented; the right wing, fragmented left wing sections, empennage, and flight control surfaces were recovered. No evidence of in-flight separation was observed. The engine separated and was found at the east end of the ground scar. The propeller blades separated at the roots, with the hub remaining attached to the engine. No pre-impact anomalies were noted.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy on August 17, 2009, by the Iowa State Medical Examiner's Office attributed the pilot's death to multiple blunt force injuries. FAA forensic toxicology testing detected ethanol in tissue samples but no drugs. No blood sample was available.
Additional Information
The FAA Aeronautical Information Manual describes hypoxia as a state of oxygen deficiency impairing brain functions, with effects often difficult to recognize. The Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge notes that initial symptoms include euphoria and a carefree feeling. The AIM states that between 12,000 and 15,000 feet, judgment, memory, alertness, coordination, and calculation are impaired, with symptoms like headache, drowsiness, dizziness, euphoria or belligerence. Performance can deteriorate within 15 minutes at 15,000 feet. Above 15,000 feet, tunnel vision occurs, and corrective action may be lost in 20–30 minutes at 18,000 feet and 5–12 minutes at 20,000 feet, followed by unconsciousness. Under 14 CFR 91.211, pilots must use supplemental oxygen above 12,500 feet msl for more than 30 minutes and during entire flight above 14,000 feet msl. A representative of the operator stated the accident aircraft was not equipped with a supplemental oxygen system, and the pilot had no portable oxygen onboard.