Monday, July 03, 2017

Piper PA-15, N4195H: Accident occurred July 03, 2017 in Farmville, Virginia

The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity:

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Richmond, Virginia

Aviation Accident Preliminary Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf


http://registry.faa.gov/N4195H



Location: Farmville, VA
Accident Number: ERA17LA225
Date & Time: 07/03/2017, 1300 EDT
Registration: N4195H
Aircraft: PIPER PA 15
Injuries: 1 Serious
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

On July 3, 2017, about 1300 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-15, N4195H was destroyed during takeoff from a field near Farmville, Virginia. The private pilot was seriously injured. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight that was originating at the time of the accident, and was destined for Frederick Municipal Airport (FDK) Frederick, Maryland.


In a statement provided to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the pilot stated that he purchased the airplane the day before the accident and was flying back to his home airport. After departing from William M. Tuck Airport (W78), South Boston, Virginia, the pilot made a precautionary landing in a field due to a possible fuel transfer issue. After confirming fuel flow to the engine he attempted to take off from the field, which was covered with high, matted grass. The pilot reported he was unable to clear the trees at the end of the field. He then made a low altitude turn and the airplane stalled, impacting terrain before a spin could fully develop.


Examination of the wreckage by the FAA inspector revealed a post-crash fire had destroyed the airplane. The two seat, high wing, tailwheel-equipped airplane, was powered by a Continental C85, 85 horsepower engine.


The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, airplane single-engine sea, airplane multiengine land, and instrument airplane. He also possessed mechanic certificate with ratings for airframe and powerplant.

The 1255 weather at FVX included wind from 040° at 3 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition, 6,000 ft scattered; temperature, 32° C; dew point, 11° C; and altimeter setting 30.05 inches of mercury. 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information


Aircraft Manufacturer: PIPER

Registration: N4195H
Model/Series: PA 15 NO SERIES
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: Philip Cianciolo
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan


Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions

Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KFVX, 417 ft msl
Observation Time: 1715 UTC
Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 32°C / 12°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: Calm
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility: 10 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.05 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Farmville, VA
Destination: FREDERICK, MD (FDK) 

Wreckage and Impact Information


Crew Injuries: 1 Serious

Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: On-Ground
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Serious
Latitude, Longitude:  37.357500, -78.437778









PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY, Va. -- A pilot suffered serious but non-life threatening injuries when his small, private plane crashed in a field near Farmville.

Virginia State Police said the crash happened at 1:05 p.m.

"The Piper PA-15 ran out of fuel while in the air and was forced to make a crash landing into a cornfield at the intersection of Route 658 and Route 700," a Virginia State Police spokesperson said. "The impact of the crash caused the aircraft to catch fire."

The field where the plane crashed is located along the 700 block of Moore Road, near Hampden Sydney college.

The pilot, Philip Cianciolo of Wallingford, Conn., was medivac to VCU Medical Center with serious but non-life threatening injuries.

Cianciolo, who was the plane’s only occupant, was flying from North Carolina to Connecticut at the time of the crash.

Farmville fire department responded to Hampden Sydney College to set up a landing zone and Darlington Heights fire assisted at the scene of the crash.

The FAA and NTSB were notified of the crash.

http://wtvr.com






PRINCE EDWARD, Va. (WSET) -- Authorities say a small airplane crash landed in a field in central Virginia just after 1 p.m. after running out of fuel.

Virginia State Police say the pilot, Philip Cianciolo of Wallingford, Conn., was flown to VCU Medical Center in Richmond for treatment of serious but non-life threatening injuries.

Police say the Piper PA-15 ran out of fuel while in the air and was forced to make a crash landing into a cornfield at the intersection of Route 658 and Route 700. 
Cianciolo was flying from North Carolina to Connecticut at the time of the crash.

Police say the impact of the crash caused the aircraft to catch fire.

The FAA and NTSB were notified of the crash.

Prince Edward County is about 70 miles south west of Richmond.

http://wset.com







One man was injured in a plane crash on Monday afternoon around 1 pm. 

The plane came to a rest in a cornfield near the intersection of Moore Road and Five Forks Road.

The pilot was transported by helicopter to a local hospital. His injuries were described as non-life threatening.

Firefighters from Darlington Heights and Hampden-Sydney Volunteer Fire Departments responded to the scene and extinguished the remains of the airplane and the surrounding corn field.

Police identify man who tried to seize helicopter at Hillsboro Airport (KHIO), Washington County, Oregon

Holden Gorka was shot to death by officers after allegedly attempting to steal a helicopter on Monday. 



PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Family and friends of the man shot to death after allegedly trying to steal a helicopter said they can’t believe it.

Hillsboro Police on Wednesday said Holden Austin Gorka, 25, jumped a fence Monday to get into Hillsboro Airport and then approached a flight instructor and a friend who were inside a helicopter. He ordered them to get out, firing at least one round during the incident.

Gorka then ran off into a field where he was shot by a Hillsboro Police officer after a confrontation.

Gorka’s friends and family said it’s completely out of character for him.

According to Cody Countryman, Gorka’s best friend, Gorka never really got into any trouble. He didn’t drink or do drugs and he didn’t have a criminal record. Countryman also said Gorka was engaged.

Countryman said, “He had a rough time getting stable, but from me talking to him, sounded like things were working out for him. He was a trucker, seemed like he was enjoying it. He was making money. He was doing pretty good in life.”

Gorka also lived with Countryman for a few years. He ran away from home and was “kind of homeless,” so Countryman and his family took him in.

Hillsboro police said it appears Gorka lived in multiple cities across the country. Records show he was registered to vote in Olympia, Washington.

According to Countryman, Gorka had a difficult childhood and went from city to city after getting his GED.

Hillsboro Aero Academy said they aren’t aware of any connection between Gorka and their company. FAA records show there is no one with that name who has a pilot’s license and Countryman also said he wasn’t aware of Gorka having any experience flying helicopters.

However, police said at the time of the attempted hijacking, it seemed like Gorka knew how to operate a helicopter.

Still wrapping his head around the incident, Countryman said he remembers Gorka as “a great person.”

“He’s one of the most loving and caring people I’ve ever met,” Countryman said. “He’d always be by your side no matter what. I really don’t know what drove him to do this.”

Hillsboro Police have not yet named the officers involved in the shooting.

http://koin.com


Holden Gorka as seen in his driver’s license photo from Texas as seen on July 5, 2017.
 (Hillsboro Police Department)


HILLSBORO, Ore. (AP) — Authorities in a Portland, Oregon, suburb released the identity Wednesday of a man who they say tried to steal a helicopter at gunpoint before being fatally shot by police.

Holden Austin Gorka, 25, had no known address and no known mental health or drug abuse issues, the Hillsboro Police Department said in a statement.

An autopsy was completed Tuesday but results of toxicology tests won't be ready for another two to three months, authorities said.

The name of the officer who fatally shot Gorka will be released Thursday, the statement said.

According to authorities, Gorka jumped a fence at the Hillsboro Airport on Monday and held a flight instructor and a student at gunpoint, firing at least one shot before police showed up. That shot — and possibly a second misfire — were directed away from the victims, who were in the helicopter as it was warming up for takeoff.

The man got into the helicopter, but officers arrived before he could take off. The man then ran across a street and into a field, where he was shot.

The man died at the scene shortly before noon. No other injuries were reported.

Investigators have to yet to establish the man's motive for trying to steal the helicopter, but authorities said Wednesday that he was not connected to the Hillsboro Aero Academy, the airport's flight-training school.

A witness, Christopher Neal, told reporters that he and his family were watching planes at the small airport when he saw a man walking in wearing a gray hoodie. The man looked at them and then started running toward the fence. He pulled a gray mask over his face, Neal said.

The Hillsboro Airport, established in 1928, is one of three airports operated by the Port of Portland.

It's about a 40-minute drive west of the Portland International Airport, the region's main airport.

http://www.sfgate.com





As Christopher Neal watched planes fly in and out of the Hillsboro Airport with his wife and young son, a stranger in a gray hoodie caught their eye.

With his hood up and hands in his pockets, the man walked from across Northwest Cornell Road toward a barbed-wire fence leading to airport property, Neal said. The man briefly looked at the family, then back toward the fence.

It was the beginning of a bizarre attempt to hijack a helicopter that left a gunman dead in a field across from the airport.

"For a moment, I thought to myself that it was a little warm for the big, thick, gray hoodie with the hood over him," said Neal, Public Safety Director for the Port of Portland, which owns and operates the airport. Neal said he was there on his day off because his son likes to watch planes.

The hooded man ran toward the fence, pulled a mask over his face, climbed the fence, stepped on the barbed wire at the top and went over.






Neal said he rushed his family back into their car and went to a nearby parking lot.

Within the hour, Hillsboro police said the man tried to steal a helicopter at gunpoint outside a flight school, hopped back over the fence at the sight of an officer and was fatally shot after a chase into a nearby field. 

It was 11:23 a.m. when the masked man went up to a helicopter with a flight instructor and student inside as it was warming up with its rotar spinning overhead at Hillsboro Aero Academy, said Lt. Henry Reimann, a Hillsboro police spokesman. The man opened the door, pointed a gun at the student and ordered the student out.

When the student hesitated, the man fired one round away from the helicopter and the student got out and ran away, Reimann said. He then went to the other side of the helicopter and pointed a gun at the instructor, who was also the pilot. He ordered the instructor out and then jumped in.

"At that point our sergeant showed up," Reimann said.

The man ran from the helicopter, went back over the barbed-wire fence and fled across Cornell Road near the Comfort Inn. 

A second Hillsboro police officer encountered the man in a field and shot him, Reimann said. The man died at the scene.



No other injuries were reported. Police haven't yet identified the suspect.

Flights were halted briefly but the airport was open by 1 p.m., officials said.

Andy Smith, a general aviation intern at Hillsboro Airport, said he was doing a perimeter check at the airport and when he got back into the office he picked up a call from CNN. That was the first he heard of the shooting.

He said he checked with the airport tower, which confirmed a shooting.

The Port of Portland said Hillsboro police are leading the investigation and referred all questions to them. 

More than 25 businesses operate at the 950-acre airport, including flight schools, corporate flight departments, aircraft charter services and air ambulance services. It was established in 1928.

http://www.oregonlive.com

Decades after woman jumped from a plane, skeletal remains may solve her disappearance

Landscapers discovered adult skeletal human remains alongside a wooded Palmetto Bay nature trail on June 26th.



For more than two decades, mystery has surrounded the disappearance of Christine Pascale, a troubled one-time pilot who hurled herself, without a parachute, from a small plane in an apparent suicide attempt over South Miami-Dade.

Investigators never found her body.

But Pascale’s relatives got a spark of hope last week when workers discovered skeletal remains hidden in the brush of a 22-acre nature preserve next to the Palmetto Bay Village Center on Old Cutler Road.

It might take months for forensic anthropologists to identify the skeletal remains, which were found in pieces as workers cleared out invasive plants. The bones are too old to yield DNA for testing. But Miami-Dade homicide detectives and the medical examiner’s office are exploring the possibility that Pascale’s body might have finally surfaced.

“I’m just hoping that it is her. I always wonder where she is. Even if it’s a fatality, that is still my sister’s body. I want her to have a nicer resting place,” said her sister, Michelle Pascale Venega, who spoke to a detective on Monday.

“I know it’s been some years, but I always think about what happened.”

The 26-year-old Pascale leaped to her presumed death from a Cessna on Dec. 3, 1994.

That day, Pascale hired a plane ride at the Opa-locka airport, directing the pilot to fly over Southwest 184th Street and Old Cutler Road, close to where her parents lived. Pascale told the pilot she wanted to take some aerial photographs.

Pascale jumped when the plane reached 5,000 feet, according to a National Transportation Safety Board report.

“I noticed her reaching for something on the rear seat. I assumed it was a camera … A little while later, I heard what sounded like a yell and felt wind in the cabin and noise simultaneously,” pilot Hodelin F. Rene told federal investigators at the time.

“I immediately turned toward the sound, and she was already partly out of the airplane, and when our eyes met, she jumped out.”

Pascale’s body would have plummeted at 120 miles an hour, with the young woman conscious during the free fall. It would have taken her about 15 seconds to hit the dirt or the mangroves of Biscayne Bay, experts told the Miami Herald in 1994.

Venega says she still believes her older sister “fell off” the plane.

“She was taking aerial shots and supposedly the door opened; they said it was suicide, but I don’t think it was,” Venega said. “I don’t think she was depressed. All we know is the Cessna called it in that he lost control of the plane when the door opened.”

Just days before she fell to her death, Pascale had tried jumping out of another aircraft flying over South Miami-Dade, in the vicinity of the former Burger King headquarters, a National Transportation Safety Board report says. She was unsuccessful.

Pascale’s short life was marred by mental-health problems.

Records show that would-be pilot began “as a sickly child and grew into a disruptive and violent-tempered adult, living in failure and fantasy, yelling curses and threats, arrested often for disorderly conduct and occasionally for worse things,” the Herald reported in 1994.

Pascale pretended to be a jet pilot and aviation business woman but her license only qualified her to fly a single-engine propeller-driven plane.

The Federal Aviation Administration later revoked it because Pascale lied about her medical history. Since childhood, she had lived on one kidney, and the FAA believed she was schizophrenic, dishonest, compulsive and dangerous .

Pascale’s home life in east Perinne was marked by domestic disputes and a tortured relationship with her father. Police records listed arrests for disorderly conduct, bouncing checks, cheating landlords and two felonies — sticking a man with a knife and fork and forging prescriptions for tranquilizers and painkillers. Pascale even went to jail for punching her younger sister.

“The worst call was from the FAA, telling us that Christine made a report of a missing plane that our son was on, and the plane crashed. We told them that we don’t have a son, and Christine is a very sick girl,” her father told the Miami Herald back then. “They asked us if she lied a lot, and we said she is a constant liar.”

Vanega hopes the remains are indeed her sister.

“Since there is no closure, my mom in her head thinks she is alive, and I know that’s her way of just coping with it. She thinks she had a parachute on and survived and just ran away,” Venega said. “I know it doesn’t make sense at all, but maybe just finding her it will bring closure.”

Anyone with information on the 1994 death of Christine Pascale can contact Miami-Dade’s homicide bureau at 305-471-2400.

http://www.miamiherald.com

Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board:https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

Aviation Accident Data Summary - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

http://registry.faa.gov/N707PP

NTSB Identification: MIA95LA032
The docket is stored in the Docket Management System (DMS). Please contact Records Management Division
Accident occurred Saturday, December 03, 1994 in MIAMI, FL
Probable Cause Approval Date: 10/31/1995
Aircraft: CESSNA 172D, registration: N707PP
Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Uninjured.

NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

The pilot reported that he was in cruise flight at 5,000 feet agl and had slowed to 70 mph. The passenger stated that she was taking off her headset and moving her seat back so she could get a good photograph. The pilot heard what sounded like a yell, and simultaneously felt wind and noise in the cabin. He looked towards the sound, and observed the passenger partially out of the airplane. When their eyes met, she jumped. Review of ATC transcripts verified that the pilot departed and returned to the departure airport without any intermediate stops. Another pilot wrote a letter to the Safety Board describing a similar incident that occurred 4 days prior to the accident with the same passenger. During that flight, she unlatched the door gunner's safety belt while sitting on the floor with her feet outside the airplane on the landing gear. At the time, she was wearing a parachute with a hidden automatic opener on the reserve parachute. She was subsequently pulled back into the airplane by a safety crewmember and restrained for the return flight. The passenger's airman and medical certificates had been revoked 8/12/91 for failing to disclose a history of, among other conditions, a personality disorder and for the taking of numerous prescribed medications.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The passenger committed suicide.

On December 3, 1994, about 1246 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172D, N707PP, registered to Hodelin F. Rene, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 aerial photography flight, reported to FAA air traffic control while in cruise flight, that his female passenger jumped out of the airplane in the vicinity of Miami, Florida. The passenger was not located and is presumed to be fatally injured. The airplane was not damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Opa Locka Airport, Opa Locka, Florida, about 1 hour 6 minutes before the accident.

Charles J. Flowers, President of Flowers Air Charter, Opa Locka, Florida, stated his office was contacted on three separate occasions in November 1994, by Christine M. Pascale, who asked to rent an airplane with a pilot to take some aerial photographs. Mr. Flowers stated he was unable to support her request, and he contacted a private owner, Hodelin F.Rene, who agreed to make the flight.

The pilot, Hodelin F. Rene, stated he arrived at Flowers Air Charter, on December 3, 1994, at about 1000, and was introduced to his passenger by Mr. Flowers. Miss Pascale stated she wanted to take several pictures of a couple of houses in the Cutler Ridge area, and drew a circle around the area on an aeronautical chart. He went to Terminal One, taxied his airplane to Flowers Air Charter, and did a preflight inspection. The passenger did her own preflight inspection, and asked several questions about the operations of the right passenger door. They departed Opa Locka Airport and flew to the area previously marked on the map. He leveled off at 5,000 feet agl, slowed the airplane to 70 mph, and asked her where she wanted to go. She stated she would look outside to make sure. A short time later, she stated she was going to take off the headset and move the seat back so she could get a good shot. He then heard what sounded like a yell, felt wind and noise simultaneously in the cabin area. He looked towards the sound, she was already partly out of the airplane, and when their eyes met, she jumped out. "I was in total amazement, shock and just froze for a moment, not knowing what to do. I could not believe what had happened. After about ten seconds, I called ATC and requested a descent as I struggled to close the door." He then informed ATC that he would like to declare an emergency, that his passenger had jumped out of the airplane.

Review of communications on December 3, 1994, for the time period between 1640 UTC (1140 EST) to 1807 UTC (1307 EST) between Miami ATCT, Fort Lauderdale South Arrival/Departure Radar, Arrival/Departure Interphone, South Departure Radar, Opa Locka ATC Tower, and N707PP indicate the airplane departed Opa Locka Airport, landed at Opa Locka Airport without any intermediate stops and confirmed ATC statements made by the pilot.

Mr. Thomas D. Manning, Skydive, Inc., Homestead, Florida, wrote a letter to the NTSB on December 4, 1994, stating that Christine M.Pascale attempted to jump out of his airplane on November 29, 1994, while on an aerial photography flight in the vicinity of Burger King Headquarters, on Old Cutler Road in Miami, Florida. After landing at the Homestead General Aviation Airport, Homestead, Florida, a confrontation ensued, and the Metro Dade Police Department was called. Mr. Manning informed the two police officers who responded to the call that he thought Miss Pascale was trying to commit suicide.

Review of airman records on file with the FAA Airmen Certification Branch, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, revealed the passenger, Christine M. Pascale, was issued private pilot certificate No. 85526189, on October 22, 1990, with ratings for airplane single engine land. The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, issued an emergency order of revocation of any airman pilot certificate or airman medical certificate held by the passenger on August 12, 1991. The airman and medical certificates were revoked for falsification of airman medical application dated March 23, 1990, October 27, 1990, and general medical condition. She failed to disclose that she had a history of the following: a. Seizures b. Personality disorder c. Uncontrolled hypertension d. Myasthenia gravis e. Asthma f. Stroke g. Steroid dependency h. Multiple allergies i. Cerebral hemorrhage secondary to ruptured aneurism j. Taking numerous prescribed medications.

Air Tractor Inc AT-502B, N6135P: Fatal accident occurred October 12, 2018 in Placedo, Victoria County, Texas and Accident occurred July 02, 2017 in Edna, Jackson County, Texas

Amy and Wesley Fojtik and their son, Cort. 


The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; San Antonio, Texas
Air Tractor Inc.; Olney, Texas 

Aviation Accident Preliminary Report - National Transportation Safety Board:  https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

https://registry.faa.gov/N6135P

Location: Placedo, TX
Accident Number: CEN19FA003
Date & Time: 10/12/2018, 1841 CDT
Registration: N6135P
Aircraft: Air Tractor AT502
Injuries: 1 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 137: Agricultural 

On October 12, 2018, at 1841 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-502B airplane, N6135P, impacted an antenna tower near Placedo, Texas. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a postimpact fire. The airplane was registered to and operated by Coastal Flying Service Inc., Ganado, Texas, as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was not operated on a flight plan. The local flight originated from the operator's private airstrip near Ganado, Texas, about 1730.

A representative of the operator stated that during the accident flight, the pilot was applying herbicide to a pasture about one-half mile east of the antenna tower. The pilot had reviewed the area online before the flight and was aware of the presence of the tower.

A witness reported that he heard the airplane fly over and impact the antenna tower. He looked out of a window and observed the airplane "fall from the sky." The airplane was on fire as it descended after striking the tower.

The accident site was located about 700 ft west-southwest of the radio antenna tower adjacent to a two-lane paved roadway. The main wreckage consisted of the fuselage, wings and empennage, with exception of the right horizontal stabilizer. A section of the antenna tower structure was intertwined with the right wing. The fuselage nose section, including the engine assembly, was separated and located near the main wreckage. The propeller had separated and was located on the opposite side of the road. The left horizontal stabilizer was partially separated. The right horizontal stabilizer was separated and located in the debris path. 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Air Tractor
Registration: N6135P
Model/Series: AT502 B
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: Coastal Flying Service Inc
Operating Certificate(s) Held: Agricultural Aircraft (137)
Operator Does Business As:
Operator Designator Code: 9CRG

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: VCT, 115 ft msl
Observation Time: 1851 CDT
Distance from Accident Site: 10 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 27°C / 22°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Few / 3500 ft agl
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 6 knots / , 130°
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility: 10 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 29.86 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Ganado, TX (PVT)
Destination: Ganado, TX (PVT) 

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: In-Flight
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 28.705833, -96.804444

Those who may have information that might be relevant to the National Transportation Safety Board investigation may contact them by email eyewitnessreport@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov.


Amy and Wesley Fojtik and their son, Cort. 


Wesley Jerome Fojtik’s passions were his family, God and being a pilot, friends said Sunday.

Fojtik, 40, of Edna, was flying a crop duster when he crashed into an antenna tower in the 6600 block of Farm-to-Market Road 616 east of Placedo about 6:30 p.m. Friday. He died in the crash, which the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

“He loves the Lord, and it was important for him to have his family serve God,” said Cricia Ryan, 29, of El Campo. “He was a man that worked hard. Full of life. The most selfless person that I knew. He’d do anything for anyone. He was quiet but strong-willed and always friendly.”

Fojtik was flying an Air Tractor AT-502B owned by Coastal Flying Service, Inc., according to the Federal Aviation Administration registry. Fojtik was the only passenger. National Transportation Safety Board officials moved the plane to a secure facility for further examination Sunday.

Those who work in agriculture aviation are close-knit, said Ryan, who has known Fojtik and his family for three years. Fojtik left behind his wife, Amy Fojtik, and 6-year-old son, Cort.

Ryan said when a pilot is flying a plane, especially in agriculture aviation, there is no room for errors, and one error can end a pilot’s life.

“In our industry, obstacles in the air space are extremely dangerous to us, and Wesley’s incident happened with a tower,” she said. “I’m sure it’s marked to (Federal Aviation Administration) guidelines, but that still does not make it visible to ag pilots.”

Ryan’s family owns an aviation agriculture service in the Crossroads, and her brother was injured during a plane crash in May 2017 in El Campo because of engine failure. During his recovery, the agriculture industry came together to help pay his medical expenses. The Fojtik family participated in all six events to raise funds.

“Our industry lost one of the best,” she said. “His wife is one of the most amazing people that I know, and their little boy is a spitting image of his dad. He loves planes like his dad, loves life and loves being outdoors.”

Mike Thompson, 59, of Garwood, also owns an agriculture aviation service in his community. He met Fojtik about 12 years ago and had been friends with him since then.

Earlier this year, Fojtik helped Thompson with no hesitation when his company was in a bind during a crucial time for rice farmers to have their crops sprayed and fertilized.

“He came and helped me with my customers and with my competition’s customers that were dumped on us,” he said. “We were overwhelmed with work, and he helped us get it done. He came every morning, and he would say, ‘I’m prayed up and fueled up. Let’s go to work.’”

Thompson said he’s most thankful to God for sharing Fojtik with everyone who loved him.

“He’s a good man, and he’s a good daddy,” he said. “Christians know for a fact we’re going to see him tomorrow, and he’s going to turn around and be grinning.”

Original article ➤  https://www.victoriaadvocate.com

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Houston, Texas

Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms


Aviation Accident Data Summary - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf 

http://registry.faa.gov/N6135P

Location: Edna, TX
Accident Number: GAA17CA385
Date & Time: 07/02/2017, 1040 CDT
Registration: N6135P
Aircraft: AIR TRACTOR INC AT 502
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 137: Agricultural

Analysis


The pilot reported that, while maneuvering at low altitude over a field during an aerial application flight, he was focused on the top of the electrical poles that paralleled the field. He added that he crossed between the electrical poles and was focused on the pole to the right of the airplane. Once he crossed the top wire he focused his attention forward, but added that he "was staring at a 30-ft tower just to the left of the nose" of the airplane. The airplane struck the tower and then impacted the ground.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage.

The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. 

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot's failure to see and avoid a tower during an agricultural application flight. 

Findings

Aircraft
Altitude - Not attained/maintained (Cause)

Personnel issues
Monitoring environment - Pilot (Cause)

Environmental issues
Tower/antenna (incl guy wires) - Effect on operation (Cause)

Factual Information

History of Flight

Maneuvering
Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT) (Defining event)

Pilot Information

Certificate: Commercial
Age: 39, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Single
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: Unknown
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 2 Without Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 05/01/2017
Occupational Pilot: Yes
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 02/28/2016
Flight Time: (Estimated) 6499 hours (Total, all aircraft), 2081 hours (Total, this make and model), 6499 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 171 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 55 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 6 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft) 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Manufacturer: AIR TRACTOR INC
Registration: N6135P
Model/Series: AT 502 B
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1995
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Restricted
Serial Number: 502B-0286
Landing Gear Type: Tailwheel
Seats: 1
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 12/07/2016, Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.:  9400 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Turbo Prop
Airframe Total Time: 9428.7 Hours at time of accident
Engine Manufacturer: Pratt & Whitney
ELT: Not installed
Engine Model/Series: PT6A-34
Registered Owner: COASTAL FLYING SERVICE INC
Rated Power: 750 hp
Operator: COASTAL FLYING SERVICE INC
Operating Certificate(s) Held: Agricultural Aircraft (137) 

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KVCT, 115 ft msl
Observation Time: 1551 UTC
Distance from Accident Site: 12 Nautical Miles
Direction from Accident Site: 230°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Scattered / 2900 ft agl
Temperature/Dew Point: 32°C / 24°C
Lowest Ceiling: Broken / 3700 ft agl
Visibility: 9 Miles
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 11 knots, 160°
Visibility (RVR):
Altimeter Setting: 30.14 inches Hg
Visibility (RVV):
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Ganado, TX
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Ganado, TX
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 1000 CDT
Type of Airspace: Class G 

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries:N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 None
Latitude, Longitude: 28.986111, -96.758889 (est)

Preventing Similar Accidents  

Preventing Obstacle Collisions in Agricultural Operations

Accidents involving collisions with obstacles, including poles, wires, guy wires, meteorological evaluation towers, or trees, are among the most common types of agricultural aircraft accidents. Some collisions involved obstacles that the pilots did not see (even during survey flights), but others involved obstacles that were known to the pilot and/or had characteristics that would make them visibly conspicuous.

Agricultural pilots should do the following:

Maintain a quick-reference document (paper or electronic) at the operations base that contains field maps, charts, photographs, and details of all known obstacles.

Frequently review current aeronautical charts for information about obstacles.

Before leaving the ground, spend time becoming familiar with all available information about the target field and programming navigation equipment. Such preflight action can help reduce the potential for confusion or distraction in flight.

Conduct aerial surveys of the target field but do not rely solely on an aerial survey to identify potential obstacles.

Conduct regular ground surveys of fields. Some towers can be erected in hours, and obstacles can change since you last worked that field. Speak with farmers and land owners to raise awareness about obstacle hazards.

When possible, use ground crews. They may be in a better position to see certain obstacles and help you ensure that your aircraft remains clear of them.

Watch for shadows and irregularities in growth patterns to help identify obstacles. Use GPS and other technology to maintain awareness of obstacle locations.

Be aware that workload, fatigue, sun glare, and distractions in the cockpit can adversely affect your ability to see, avoid, or remember obstacles. Heavier loads and higher density altitudes can affect the performance of your aircraft.

The National Agricultural Aviation Association's Professional Aerial Applicators' Support System reminds pilots that, when ferrying an aircraft or transitioning between sites, flying above 500 feet reduces obstacle collision risks: 'Ferry Above Five and Stay Alive.'

See http://www.ntsb.gov/safety/safety-alerts/documents/SA_035.pdf for additional resources.

The NTSB presents this information to prevent recurrence of similar accidents. Note that this should not be considered guidance from the regulator, nor does this supersede existing FAA Regulations (FARs).

Cirrus SR20, N456LB, Advanced Transportation Company LLC: Incident occurred July 01, 2017 at Francis S. Gabreski Airport (KFOK), Suffolk County, New York

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Farmington

Advanced Transportation Company LLC: http://registry.faa.gov/N456LB

Aircraft landed and sustained unknown damage.

Date: 01-JUL-17
Time: 15:10:00Z
Regis#: N456LB
Aircraft Make: CIRRUS
Aircraft Model: SR20
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: UNKNOWN
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
City: GABRESKI
State: NEW YORK

Beech 76 Duchess, N8013Y: Incident occurred June 30, 2017 at Solberg–Hunterdon Airport (N51), Readington Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Allentown

http://registry.faa.gov/N8013Y

Aircraft landed gear up.

Date: 30-JUN-17
Time: 22:00:00Z
Regis#: N8013Y
Aircraft Make: BEECH
Aircraft Model: BE76
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: UNKNOWN
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
City: READINGTON
State: NEW JERSEY