Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18 DROMADER N2054S

Summary

On 11 July 2000 at about 23:20 local time, a Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18 DROMADER registered N2054S, operated by A-1 Aviation, was involved in an accident near Burley, Idaho, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

11 July 2000 at 23:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Burley, Idaho, United States

Nearest airport

Rocky Ridge

Coordinates

42.3894, -113.7794

Aircraft

Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18 DROMADER

Registration

N2054S

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

A-1 Aviation

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA00LA131

1 person had minor injuries.

Improper airstrip operations by ground personnel, and the pilot's failure to visually detect a vehicle on the airstrip in time to avoid a collision. Factors included a vehicle on the airstrip, tailwind conditions, and high density altitude conditions.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

After the pilot took off on the accident flight, and unknown to the pilot, the ground crew moved a fertilizer loading truck onto the end of the airstrip. Ground crew witnesses reported that this was not the fertilizer truck's usual or desired parking location. The pilot reported that he did not notice the truck being moved there when he was returning to land, stating that the area is a busy area for agricultural aircraft operations. The pilot stated that he attempted a go-around when he spotted the truck on landing, but that the landing was made with a 10- to 15-knot quartering tailwind, and that the temperature at the airstrip (elevation approximately 4,300 feet) was approximately 98 to 99 degrees F. The pilot stated that he was not able to clear the truck on the go-around, and that the fertilizer spreader on the aircraft caught the truck auger (which was located about 5 to 6 feet above the bin.) The aircraft nosed into a wheat field off the end of the runway, collided with the ground, slid and burned. The pilot escaped the aircraft with minor injuries. Density altitude at the time was approximately 7,800 feet.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.