Accident Details
On August 8, 2010, at 1305 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-802A, registration N802BG, operated by Alan East Aviation, LLC, was substantially damaged when it struck terrain during aerial application maneuvers near Lindsay, Nebraska. The pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 137 without a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated from Norfolk, Nebraska, at about 1150.
Witness Account
A farmer observed the airplane spraying fungicide on a 200-acre corn field near Lindsay, approximately 22 miles southwest of Norfolk. The airplane then moved to another field about one mile east. The witness saw three spray passes from north to south around 1245 but did not witness the accident.
Wreckage and Engine Examination
According to an FAA inspector, the main wreckage was located between two corn fields about half a mile north of the field being sprayed. The aircraft impacted the ground at a high nose-down angle. The engine and propeller were found on a dirt road south of the wreckage. Post-impact fire was evident. The flaps were extended, but the degree of extension was not determined.
Examination by Pratt & Whitney Canada revealed heavy circumferential rubbing and scoring on the engine's first-stage compressor blades and shroud, and on the second-stage power turbine blade tips and shroud. The reduction gearbox propeller shaft coupling webs were fractured in torsion. No evidence of pre-impact malfunction or failure was found.
Pilot Information
The pilot had been a company test pilot for 13 years, with 2,450 total flight hours, including about 948 hours as a production test pilot and approximately 250 hours as an aerial applicator, according to the Air Tractor representative.
Medical and Toxicology Findings
The NTSB Chief Medical Officer's report indicated dilated non-ischemic cardiomyopathy. The heart weighed 440 grams, exceeding the normal maximum of 355 grams for a 74-inch male. The coronary arteries had minimal stenosis. Severe four-chamber dilation was present. No histologic evaluation was performed.
Toxicology tests detected dextromethorphan, an over-the-counter cough suppressant, in urine but not in blood. Its metabolite dextrorphan was found in both urine and blood. The report noted that dextromethorphan at recommended doses has minimal effects on the nervous system and is not considered a safety concern for motor vehicle drivers.