History of Flight
On July 27, 2020, about 1045 central daylight time, a Cessna A188 airplane, registration N53163, was destroyed when it impacted terrain near Corsica, South Dakota. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an aerial application operation.
The pilot had been employed with the company for approximately three months before the accident. On the day of the accident, he had flown about 2.5 hours practicing spray operations with loads of water. The accident occurred during his third flight of the day.
Witnesses reported that the pilot completed two passes over a field. After the second pass, the airplane entered a turn to align for another pass. During the turn, the airplane suddenly nosed over and struck the ground. One witness noted the airplane entered a descending spiral before impact. Two witnesses heard a loud noise from the airplane, described as similar to a "backfire" or "an over-inflated tire bursting," immediately before the airplane "nosedive." All witnesses stated the airplane appeared to be flying normally prior to the event.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a Part 137 agricultural endorsement, issued on May 8, 2020.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage came to rest in a bean field. The forward fuselage was fragmented, and the aft fuselage was buckled, consistent with impact forces. Both wings exhibited leading edge crush damage and localized deformation. The empennage remained attached to the fuselage, and all flight control surfaces were still attached to the airframe.
A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine found no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have prevented normal operation.
Medical and Pathological Information
Toxicology testing performed by the Federal Aviation Administration’s Forensic Sciences Laboratory identified 1.3 ng/ml of carboxy-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinal (THC-COOH) in the pilot’s blood. THC-COOH is the primary inactive metabolite of tetrahydrocannabinal (THC), the psychoactive compound in marijuana. Additionally, THC-COOH, 11-hydroxy-delta-9-THC (an active metabolite of THC), pheniramine (a sedating antihistamine), and albuterol (an inhaled drug used to treat asthma) were identified in the pilot’s urine.