Individually Owned: 151,491
Corporate Owned: 139,368
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Huron, California 93234
Friday, July 21, 1995 5:00 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT WAS CONDUCTING A NIGHT AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT, AND HAD JUST TAKEN OFF TO START ON A NEW FIELD (AT ABOUT 0500 PDT). HE REPORTED THAT THE GROUND FLAGGERS WERE NOT IN THE PROPER POSITION WHEN HE MADE THE INITIAL PASS. THE PILOT SAID HE PULLED UP AND REACHED DOWN TO GET HIS MAP TO VERIFY THE FLAGGERS' PROPER POSITION, AND TURNED ON THE INTERIOR LIGHTING TO READ THE MAP. AFTER READING THE MAP, HE REACHED FOR THE INTERIOR LIGHTING SWITCH. AT ABOUT THAT TIME, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE GROUND. TOXICOLOGY TESTS OF THE PILOT'S URINE INDICATED AN UNQUANTIFIED LEVEL OF VALIUM AND A PAIN MEDICATION (OPIATE POSITIVE). THE PILOT STATED THAT HE TOOK A PAIN PILL BEFORE GOING TO THE HOSPITAL (EMERGENCY ROOM), AND THAT HE HAD TAKEN 1/2 OF A 5 MILLIGRAM (MG) VALIUM TABLET AT ABOUT NOON ON THE PREVIOUS DAY SO HE COULD GET SOME SLEEP BEFORE REPORTING FOR WORK AT 2100 HOURS. VALIUM IS AN ANTIANXIETY AGENT AND MUSCLE RELAXANT, NOT APPROVED FOR USE WHILE FLYING. PHARMACY RECORDS SHOWED THAT ON 5/26/95, THE PILOT HAD PRESCRIPTIONS FILLED FOR 90 VALIUM TABLETS AND 90 TYLENOL/CODEINE TABLETS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE ABOVE THE GROUND AFTER DIVERTING HIS ATTENTION TO READ A MAP. FACTORS RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS, WHICH REDUCED THE PILOT'S VISUAL CUES CONCERNING OUTSIDE REFERENCES WHILE READING THE MAP; AND THE PILOT'S USE OF A DRUG.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/21/1995 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 500 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | HURON |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 93234 |
| Event Date Year | 1995 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 90 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 15 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1117 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 21 1995 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1400 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 7 2000 4:25PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5609X |
| NTSB Number | LAX95LA261 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 137: Agricultural |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | AERO COMMANDER |
| Aircraft Model | S2R |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | S2R |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1809R |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 6000 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 1 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 5500 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WILLETT FLYING SERVICE, INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 1627 |
| Aircraft Owner City | HURON |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 93234 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Agriculture |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Unknown |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Unknown |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Unknown |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Aerial Application |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 457 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |