ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 166139
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| Date: | Wednesday 19 February 1969 |
| Time: | 19:10 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-25-235 Pawnee |
| Owner/operator: | Nicholsons Air Services Pty Ltd |
| Registration: | VH-TND |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 8 miles E of Wee Waa, NSW -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Agricultural |
| Departure airport: | near Wee Waa, NSW |
| near Wee Waa, NSW | |
| Investigating agency: | BASI |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The aircraft was engaged in spraying an Insecticide solution on a maturing cotton crop varying In height from 2 feet to 4 feet 6 Inches. Operations had begun one hour previously and were to continue into the night with the pilot making easterly and westerly runs working from south to north across the field.
The wind was suitable for the operation being mainly light In strength and variable In direction, with an occasional gust to ten knots. Approximately three minutes before last light, with the work lights on, the pilot approached from the west for his third spraying run, over a tree 45 feet in height situated 120 feet back from the edge of the crop.
He then descended to begin spraying but the descent was not arrested before the undercarriage entered the crop. Believing the aircraft might not come free from the crop the pilot reduced power to minimise the Impact, but the drag on the aircraft decreased slightly and the pilot applied full power and dumped the load.
The aircraft failed to accelerate and sank deeper Into the crop, and the pilot again reduced power. The right wing caught in the crop and the aircraft skidded to the left still decelerating and came to rest pointing 140 degrees to the flight path with the undercarriage collapsed beneath it.
ATSB Conclusions:
1. The aircraft took off at a weight which exceeded (by 85 lbs) the maximum permissible all up weight as specified in the certificate of airworthiness.
2. The cause of the accident was that, In lighting conditions requiring great care, the pilot misjudged his descent to spraying height
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/1969/aair/aair196901130.aspx
2. http://www.atsb.gov.au/media/24460/196901130.pdf
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 12-May-2014 03:18 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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