Santa Teresa, NM, USA
N3789E
PIPER PA-36-300
The pilot was conducting an agricultural spray operation to a small field with obstacles, including a power line, trees, and heavy construction equipment. His pull-up from the spray pass was too late and the airplane struck a tree on the edge of the field. Due to the tree strike, the pilot lost roll control and maneuvered to a forced landing, during which the airplane cartwheeled. The pilot stated that he accepted a high level of risk to spray the small, tightly confined field, which he regretted. Factoring in his decision were multiple requests to spray the field by a persistent farm owner. Multiple sleep interruptions occurred on the night prior to the accident, which would have affected both the quality and amount of sleep the pilot obtained during his reported sleep opportunity. The resultant fatigue would have likely affected both the pilot’s decision making and flying performance on the day of the accident.
On August 6, 2013, at 0856 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-36-300 airplane, N3789E, was substantially damaged after ground impact near Santa Teresa, New Mexico. The pilot did not report any injuries. The airplane was registered to Valley Ag Aerial Services and was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight, which departed without a flight plan from a private airfield near San Miguel, New Mexico, about 0830. The pilot stated that he arrived to spray a small cotton field, which was divided by a diagonal power line. After a spray pass on the north side of the power line, he maneuvered the airplane for a spray pass on the south side of the power line. Due to the power line and heavy construction equipment near the approach end of the pass, the pilot conducted an approach with a steeper angle. During the pull-up from this pass, the airplane struck a tree at the departure end of the field. The pilot was unable to maintain roll control and maneuvered to a forced landing, during which the airplane cartwheeled in a grass field. Both wings and the rudder were substantially damaged. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot stated that the land owner had made multiple requests to spray the small, tightly confined field and he regretted his decision to accommodate the request. He had sprayed this field during previous years and realized that it was challenging to spray due to its size and the obstacles. The pilot made a habit of sleeping at least seven hours per night. On the night prior to the accident, his sleep was interrupted about five to eight times by a dog that he was taking care of for a friend. Since the spray season started in the spring, he had consistently averaged about 6 work days a week. During the last month, he averaged about 4 hours of flight time, per day, conducting spray operations. In retrospect, the pilot stated that he was fatigued at the time of the accident.
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a tree at the completion of an agricultural spray run. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to accept a high level of risk to spray a small field bordered by multiple obstacles and his fatigue due to interrupted sleep the night before the accident.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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