Adopted:    July 23, 1944

File No. 626-44

REPORT OF THE CIVIL AERONAUTICS BOARD on the Investigation of an Accident Involving Aircraft During a Crop Dusting Flight

Robert Langford Wimp was fatally injured in an accident which occurred at the Gulf Stream Park Race Track, Hallandale, Florida, about 8:30 a.m. on January 21, 1944. Wimp held a commercial pilot certificate with a single-engine land, 0-80 h.p. rating, and had flown approximately 550 hours. The airplane, a Piper J30-65, NR 35678, owned by J. L. Schroeder, Inc., was demolished.

Wimp took off from the Hollywood, Florida Airport about 8:00 a.m. and proceeded to a small tomato field where ho was engaged in dusting operations. A witness observed the plane make several swaths back and forth over the field. Following the last swath the pilot pulled the airplane up abruptly into a steep left turn to clear a row of palm trees and the grandstand of the Gulf Stream Park Race Track which adjoined the field being dusted. When approximately 180 degree of this turn had been completed the plane was stalled. The left wing dropped and the plane, after about one-half turn of a left spin, struck the ground nose-first in an almost vertical attitude approximately 50 feet from the grandstand.

Due to the fact that the wreckage had been released and removed from the scone prior to the arrival of an Air Safety Investigator, little of value could be learned from en examination. However, there was no evidence of failure prior to the crash and the manner in which the propeller was broken indicated that considerable power was being developed when the plane struck the ground. Evidence indicated that most of the load of dust had been disposed of prior to the accident. The tall palm trees at the end of the field being dusted necessitated a rather sharp pull-up after passing over the southern end of the field. Pilot Wimp had been in the employ of J. L. Schroeder, Inc., for a short time only and there was no record available as to his previous dusting experience.

The probable cause of this accident was failure to maintain flying speed which resulted in a stall at an altitude too low to effect recovery.

BY THE BOARD

/s/ Fred A. Toombs

Secretary