The pilot reported that he made three radio calls stating his intentions to land near Orange, Texas. When the Cessna 182 was about 25 to 50 feet above the runway, the pilot saw an agricultural airplane making a non-standard, low circling approach to land on the opposing runway.
The Cessna pilot added full power and initiated a shallow, right climbing turn to go around to avoid the other airplane. He then banked left to avoid obstacles parked on the ramp and subsequently lost control, and the airplane hit terrain.
The agricultural pilot stated that he was not in the traffic pattern at the time of the accident.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause as the pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during a go-around to avoid another airplane that was making a nonstandard approach to the opposing runway. Contributing to the accident was the other pilot’s use of a nonstandard approach while landing on the opposing runway.
NTSB Identification: CEN15LA012
This October 2014 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Even ag pilots flying into and out of public use airports should use the same rules as all aircraft. I fly out just and airport, the ag guys here use the radio and know the rules set and used by lic pilots.
Ag pilots should not put other pilots in danger to same a gal of jet A.
What was the skill level of the pilot at the time of this accident? Some low time pilots sound like they’re more interested in talking on the radio rather than looking out for traffic. I can see that simply by watching the way in which they fly the trafic pattern. I can’t imagine anybody losing control of an airplane in this situation unless, perhaps, a collision would have taken place in a few seconds and the pilot paniced? I realize that there is a variation in the manner in which flight instructors give instruction. It depends on the background of the particular flight instructor. For example, one of my early students, who I soloed off on a dirt strip, was told by a flight school instructor, in conversation, to never land on a dirt strip because they’re dangerous. Not all students have the pleasure of operating off runways 150 feet wide and 10,000 feet long. Perhaps some were never trained to forsee events such as the one mentioned in the article and had no idea what to do? There is such a thing as common sense, even when flying. Note: Non-Standard traffic patterns is the way Ag Pilots operate. They don’t have time to be climbing back up to traffic pattern altitude each time they return to load up again, which is usually at a small private strip used for that purpose. And many Ag planes don’t have a radio. I’m not preaching to fly unsafely, but to be aware of other types of flying in general aviation. If youi’re flying into a cropduter strip, the Ag Pilot will usually keep out of your way. Just be aware that he’s operating somewhere in the area.