NTSB Identification: CEN12LA453
14 CFR Part 137: Agricultural
Accident occurred Tuesday, July 17, 2012 in Britt, IA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 06/19/2013
Aircraft: AIR TRACTOR INC AT-402B, registration: N4843J
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
A witness observed the accident airplane spraying corn about 2 miles south of his farm. He reported that he heard the engine “sputter” and looked south to see if he could see the airplane. At that moment, he observed a “large ball of fire go up.” A power line bordering the east edge of the field being sprayed was severed. In addition, a power line support pole and crossbeam west of the severed power line were damaged. One of the transmission lines was down at that location. Yellow paint transfer marks were observed on the power lines. Fragments attributed to the left wing of the airplane were located in the vicinity of the damaged support pole. The airplane came to rest inverted in the corn field west-northwest of the support pole. A postaccident examination of the airplane did not reveal any anomalies consistent with a preimpact failure or malfunction. Records revealed that the pilot was engaged in cellphone activity during the accident flight, and one call ended shortly before the accident. The NTSB issued a Safety Alert regarding Portable Electronic Devices (PEDs) and it states, “…avoid nonoperational use of PEDs before and during flight."
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from power transmission lines during an agricultural application operation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s distracted attention due to personal cell phone use during flight operations.
HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On July 17, 2012, about 1630 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-402B, N4843J, impacted terrain during an aerial application flight near Britt, Iowa. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged by impact forces and a postimpact fire. The airplane was registered to and operated by Friesenborg & Larson Custom Spraying under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 as an aerial application flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was not operating on a flight plan. The flight departed the Forest City Municipal Airport (FXY) at an unconfirmed time.
A witness reported observing the accident airplane spraying corn about 2 miles south of his farm yard. He noted that the airplane was turning within 1/2 mile of his position during the application runs. He heard the engine start to “sputter” and looked south to see if he could see the airplane. At that moment, he observed a “large ball of fire go up” and subsequently called 911 to report the accident. He added that there were two separate “large” explosions; the first was about 1 minute and the second was about 3 minutes after the accident. These were followed by 2 or 3 “small” explosions about 15 minutes later.
The airplane came to rest inverted in a corn field located about 3 miles northeast of Britt, Iowa.
PERSONNEL INFORMATION
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with single-engine land airplane and instrument airplane ratings. He held a flight instructor certificate with a single-engine airplane rating, issued on March 10, 2012.
The pilot was issued a second class airman medical certificate on April 5, 2012, with a restriction for corrective lenses. On the application for that medical certificate, he indicated a total flight time of 2,890 hours, with 30 hours within the previous 6 months.
AIRCRAFT INFORMATION
The accident airplane was a 2008 Air Tractor AT-402B, serial number 402B-1207. The airplane was a single-engine airplane equipped for agricultural application operations. It was powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-15AG turbine engine, serial number PCE-PD0102, and a Hartzell three blade, adjustable pitch propeller. The airplane was issued a restricted category airworthiness certificate on June 8, 2008.
A review of maintenance records revealed that the most recent annual inspection was completed on June 1, 2012, at 734.0 hours total airframe time. The records contained no subsequent maintenance entries.
The accident airplane was painted yellow, with blue trim. A similar paint scheme is displayed on AT-402 airplanes depicted on the airframe manufacturer’s website.
METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS
The Mason City Municipal Airport (MCW) Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) was located about 19 miles east of the accident site. At 1553, the MCW ASOS recorded conditions as: wind from 250 degrees at 12 knots, gusting to 17 knots; 10 miles visibility, clear skies, temperature 36 degrees Celsius, dew point 18 degrees Celsius, and altimeter 29.84 inches of mercury.
At 1653, the MCW ASOS recorded conditions as: wind from 220 degrees at 9 knots; 10 miles visibility, clear skies, temperature 36 degrees Celsius, dew point 18 degrees Celsius, and altimeter 29.84 inches of mercury.
WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION
The airplane came to rest inverted in a corn field about 3 miles northeast of Britt, Iowa. A set of power transmission lines bordered the east edge of the field. About 1/2 mile from the north edge of the field, the lines turned 90 degrees and proceeded west across the corn field. The power transmission lines consisted of three transmission lines and two static lines, supported by a double set of poles and crossbeam configuration. The transmission lines were estimated to be about 60 feet high. At the point the transmission lines turned 90 degrees, the individual lines were mounted vertically on a single pole. The lower line had been severed at this point, and showed yellow marks on the line consistent with paint transfer. There was also an area of burned vegetation along the roadway ditch adjacent to the support pole.
A second set of power distribution lines, about 20 feet high, were located along the east side of the north-south road bordering the east edge of the field. These lines consisted of two distribution cables supported by a single pole configuration.
A depression in the corn was located about 300 feet west of the severed power line. The intact corn was about 9 feet high, with up to 2 feet having been cut from the corn in the depressed area. The transmission line support about 260 feet west of the corn depression was damaged. The north vertical support pole and the crossbeam were broken, and the north transmission line was down. Yellow marks consistent with paint transfer were observed on the power line and insulators. Fragments attributed to the left wing were located in the vicinity, which included wing skin and rib fragments, portions of the outboard main spar, and the wing tip.
The airplane came to rest about 600 feet west-northwest of the broken transmission line support pole. The airplane was inverted and oriented on an approximate 022-degree magnetic bearing. The postimpact fire consumed a majority of the fuselage skin to the empennage. The fuselage frame was deformed consistent with impact forces and thermal effects.
The left wing was fragmented. Some fragments, located up to 50 feet from the main wreckage, exhibited crushing damage. The main spar remained attached to the fuselage and was deformed aft about 30 degrees. The rear spar had separated from the fuselage. The inboard portion of the left wing flap remained with the wing; however, the outboard portion of the flap appeared to have been consumed by the postimpact fire. The left aileron had separated from the wing. Components of the left aileron were not identified with the main wreckage; however, portions of the left wing were located near the broken transmission line support pole.
The right wing had separated from the fuselage; although, the wing itself remained intact with the exception of damage due to impact forces. The fracture surfaces of the wing attachment bolts appeared consistent with overstress failure. The right flap and aileron remained attached to the wing. Portions of the entire right wing structure sustained postimpact thermal damage.
The vertical and horizontal stabilizers remained attached to the fuselage. The right stabilizer exhibited leading edge crushing damage near mid-span. A section of the right elevator, outboard of the trim tab, was separated, which was recovered from the debris path. The rudder remained attached to the vertical stabilizer.
Elevator and rudder control continuity were confirmed from the flight control surfaces to the cockpit controls. The cockpit control stick support structure and the rudder pedals were consumed by the postimpact fire. Damage to the aileron control system appeared consistent with impact forces and the postimpact fire. The wing flap actuator was positioned consistent with a flaps-up configuration at the time of the examination.
The engine remained in position relative to the fuselage. The engine and engine mount exhibited damage consistent with impact forces. Engine control continuity was confirmed. The propeller assembly remained secured to the engine. One propeller blade exhibited S-bending, with a portion of the blade tip being separated. The second blade was bent forward over the length of the blade, with a portion of the blade tip being separated. The third blade was separated, with the inboard 8-inch portion of the blade remaining attached to the hub. The remaining portion of this blade was recovered near the main wreckage. The blade was curled aft near the tip and exhibited trailing edge gouges. The fracture surfaces on all three blades appeared consistent with overstress separations.
MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION
The pilot was critically injured in the accident. He was subsequently transported to a local hospital and died about 8 hours later. An autopsy of the pilot was conducted on July 18, 2012, at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, Iowa. The pilot’s death was attributed to injuries initially sustained in the accident.
The FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute toxicology report noted:
Etomidate detected in Liver;
Etomidate detected in Blood (Heart);
Midazolam detected in Liver;
Midazolam not detected in Blood (Heart);
No carbon monoxide detected in Blood (Heart);
No ethanol detected in Vitreous.
The medications noted are commonly administered in an emergency medical setting.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
A review of call records related to the pilot’s cellphone number revealed that two calls occurred near the time of the accident. An outbound call was initiated at 1614, which was 9 minutes, 29 seconds in duration. An inbound call was received at 1625, which was 2 minutes, 7 seconds in duration. All subsequent calls to the pilot’s cellphone number went to voicemail.
NTSB Identification: CEN12LA453
14 CFR Part 137: Agricultural
Accident occurred Tuesday, July 17, 2012 in Britt, IA
Aircraft: AIR TRACTOR INC AT-402B, registration: N4843J
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.
On July 17, 2012, about 1620 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-402B, N4843J, impacted terrain during an aerial application flight near Britt, Iowa. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged by impact forces and a postimpact fire. The aircraft was registered to and operated by Friesenborg & Larson Custom Spraying under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 as an aerial application flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was not operating on a flight plan. The departure time for the local flight has not been determined at this time.
The pilot was reportedly completing some final spray runs along a set of power lines at the time of the accident. A wooden power line support pole was damaged near the accident site. The airplane came to rest in a corn field about 217 feet northwest of the damaged power line support pole. A postimpact fire ensued and ultimately consumed most of the airplane. The pilot was transported from the scene and died about 6 hours later due to injuries received in the accident.
John Larson
John Allen Larson
May 11, 1974 - July 18, 2012
John Larson, age 38, of Buffalo Center, Iowa, passed away as a result of doing what he loved most, flying airplanes, on July 18th, 2012, in Iowa City, Iowa.
John was born on May 11, 1974, to Ron and Jackie Friesenborg Larson in Buffalo Center, Iowa. He was raised on a farm outside Buffalo Center and developed a deep passion for farming and flying at an early age.
John graduated from North Iowa High School in 1992 and went on to study Aviation at Iowa Lakes Community College in Estherville, Iowa. After earning his degree, he returned home to farm with his uncle, Gary, and his brother, Joe, better known as Friesenborg & Larson, Inc. In 2004,
John’s passion for flying was incorporated into the farm when he bought his father’s original Cessna spray plane and restored it to immaculate working condition. He, then, began aerially applying pesticides and fertilizers for farmers across northern Iowa and southern Minnesota. Under John’s direction, Friesenborg & Larson Custom Spraying quickly became a successful and reputable service that many farmers in the area depended on. His peers in the aerial application business across the Midwest also respected his work.
In 2005, he met his wife, Tressa, whom he wed in September of 2007. John loved Tressa’s daughter, Olivia, as his own, and he was also blessed in his marriage with two more children, Hayden and Mila. He worked hard to balance his demanding farming and spraying businesses with his role as a caring father and loving husband.
A devoted father, husband, friend, and farmer as well as a fantastic aviator, John masterfully pursued perfection in every aspect of his life, both professionally and personally. Moreover, he always remained humble enough to foster countless friendships with all those he came across. A respected employer and a generous member of the community always willing to help his friends in need, John also had a witty sense of humor. He knew how to have a good time with his many friends while on snowmobile trips, vacations, or over drinks at the local establishment. He will be missed deeply by many people who loved and cared for him.
John is survived by his wife, Tressa, of Buffalo Center, along with their children, Olivia (10), Hayden (3), and Mila (8 months); his mother, Jackie Larson, of Buffalo Center; his brother, Joe, and his wife, Shelia, of Thompson, and their children, Alysha, Caleb, and Abi; his sister, Jodi, and her husband, Tracy, of Buffalo Center, and their children, Cody and Jessica; his parents-in-law, Dan and Becky Martinson, of Joice, Iowa; his brother-in-law, Chris Martinson, of Thompson, Iowa; his brother- and sister-in-law, Ryan and Michelle Martinson, of Pleasant Hill, Iowa, and their child, Avery; along with many other family members and friends.
He is preceded in death by his father, Ron Larson, and his grandmothers, Opal Friesenborg and Swea Larson.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, July 21, 2012, at 1:30 PM in the North Iowa School Gymnasium in Buffalo Center with Pastor Mark Decker officiating. A visitation will be held Friday, July 20, 2012, from 5:00-8:00 PM at the schools commons area. Burial will be at Olena Mound Cemetery in Buffalo Center.
FAA IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 4843J Make/Model: AT40 Description: AIR TRACTOR AT-402B
Date: 07/17/2012 Time: 2223
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
City: BRITT State: IA Country: US
DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT STRUCK A POWERLINE POLE AND CRASHED, THE 1 PERSON ON BOARD WAS
FATALLY INJURED, NEAR BRITT, IA
INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 1
# Crew: 1 Fat: 1 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
OTHER DATA
Activity: Aerial Application Phase: Unknown Operation: OTHER
FAA FSDO: DES MOINES, IA (CE01) Entry date: 07/19/2012
Crop duster crash site
Britt News-Tribune photo by SAM JEFSON
Hancock County Sheriff Scott Dodd (left) and Andy Buffington, Hancock County emergency management director, look Friday morning at the nose of the crop dusting plane that crashed near Britt on Tuesday afternoon.
Larson, 38, was crop dusting in a corn field northeast of Britt when the aircraft he was flying crashed.
Family members and media were allowed onto the crash site Friday after the location was opened by law enforcement officials. The site was not available to access prior because of a chemical exposure threat.
The official investigation conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration is not complete, but Hancock County Sheriff Scott Dodd said it appears Larson hit a power line while flying west to clean up an area of the field that had not been sprayed.
Larson had originally been spraying the field in a north to south pattern but a power line running through the field forced him to rise above a portion of it that could not be sprayed going that direction, Dodd said.
To spray the missed portion of the field, Larson changed to fly east to west.
While flying west, Dodd said the pilot struck the lowest line of another transmission line in the area that runs along Dodge Avenue.
According to Dodd, after hitting the line, the plane dipped down into the field and mowed off corn. The plane then clipped a power pole of the line that runs east and west in the field.
Dodd then believes the plane cart wheeled to the crash site.
http://globegazette.com
38-year-old John Larson of Buffalo Center was flying the plane that went down just before 4:30 on Tuesday. The aircraft crashed in a cornfield three to four miles northeast of Britt. Hancock County Sheriff Scott Dodd said the plane flipped upside down upon hitting the ground. Larson was able to get out of the plane of his own accord and was found in the field about 100 yards from his plane. He was taken to the University of Iowa hospitals and clinics where he later died from his injuries.
BRITT — The pilot of a crop dusting plane registered to a Buffalo Center spraying company died Wednesday from injuries he sustained when his plane crashed into a corn field northeast of Britt Tuesday afternoon.
The Hancock County Sheriff’s Department has identified the pilot as John A. Larson, 38, Buffalo Center.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration web site, the plane is registered to Friesenborg & Larson Custom Spraying LC, 45884 70th Ave. in Buffalo Center.
According to Andy Buffington, the Winnebago-Hancock County emergency management director, the crash occurred in a corn field about 2½ miles northeast of Britt near Lake Avenue and 250th Street.
The plane was a single engine turbo-prop, fixed wing AT-402B aircraft manufactured by Air Tractor Inc.
According to Tony Molinaro, public affairs officer for the FAA, the agency will gather information but since there was a fatality, the investigation will be turned over to the National Transportation Safety Board.
The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation into the cause of the crash.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration web site, the plane is registered to Friesenborg & Larson Custom Spraying LC, 45884 70th Ave. in Buffalo Center.
According to Andy Buffington, the Winnebago-Hancock County emergency management director, the crash occurred in a corn field about 2½ miles northeast of Britt near Lake Avenue and 250th Street.
The plane was a single engine turbo-prop, fixed wing AT-402B aircraft manufactured by Air Tractor Inc.
According to Tony Molinaro, public affairs officer for the FAA, the agency will gather information but since there was a fatality, the investigation will be turned over to the National Transportation Safety Board.
The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation into the cause of the crash.
BRITT, IA - A pilot spraying fungicide on a field is now in the hospital after crashing Tuesday.
The Hancock County Sheriff said the pilot, who has not yet been identified, was spraying a field north of Highway 18 at approximately 4:30 p.m., when he clipped a high-voltage power line, causing a fire.
Authorities said the pilot was working for a company based in Thompson and was flying South-to-North at the time of the crash.
Hancock County Sheriff Scott Dodd said, "It appears that the pilot exited the plane under his own power, got away from the plane, and was found probably 100 feet maybe away from the plane, standing in the tall corn."
Jim Mattox, who witnessed the crash said, "I didn't think, there's no way this guy survived. I'm just totally amazed that he's alive and just hope he's not too bad."
The pilot was airlifted to Mercy Medical Center and North Iowa.
authorities believe he was then taken to Iowa City to treat burns suffered in the crash.
An unidentified crop dusting pilot suffered burns after a plane crash near Britt in northern Iowa on Tuesday afternoon. A witness to the accident, farmer Jim Mattox who lives nearby, said he believes the pilot was having engine trouble and hit either a power line or power pole before crashing into a cornfield.
Mattox says he saw a ball of flame and it took a few seconds for the sounds of the explosion to reach him being a couple miles away. He says he’s amazed the pilot is still alive, considering the circumstances.
Hancock County Sheriff Scott Dodd says the plane flipped upside down and the pilot did manage to get out and was found standing in a corn field some 100 yards away from the plane. Sheriff Dodd says the field was secured and federal authorities will come in and investigate the incident further.
He says the victim initially was taken to the hospital at Britt and then transferred to Mercy Medical Center North Iowa and then the burn unit at University of Iowa Hospital at Iowa City. The victim’s name and condition were not immediately released
