Crop duster crash blamed on sticking throttle
Published 8:44 pm Thursday, October 17, 2019
A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board says a problem with the power lever caused a crop duster plane to crash in September.
WCBI-TV reports an investigation shows the plane experienced the equivalent of a stuck gas pedal, causing the pilot to lose control and crash.
The report says the pilot noticed the engine revving and tried to throttle back but the power lever felt stuck.
It says when the pilot tried to adjust the lever again it broke free and he lost control of the plane’s speed.
The report says the pilot clipped a tree attempting to make an emergency landing and cartwheeled onto a field, resting upright on the landing gear.
The pilot survived.