Thrush S2R-H80 accident near Hawkinsville, Georgia, September 3, 2020
On September 3, 2020 at about 12:46 pm local time, a 2012 Thrush S2R-H80, registered N30529, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Hawkinsville, Georgia. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from an antenna tower while maneuvering during an agricultural application flight while flying directly toward the sun.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 3, 2020 · about 12:46 pm local time
- Place
- Hawkinsville, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Thrush S2R-H80, built 2012
- Registration
- N30529 · no longer on the register · serial H80-108
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot reported that, while spraying a field during his first agricultural application flight, he flew the airplane over the field east and west and was blinded by the sun. For the next application, he decided to fly north and south over the field, so the sun was not in his eyes. The airplane was operating normally, and he finished spraying the field. He remembered that he was supposed to spray another field to the east, but he could not remember anything after that. The airplane was found resting in the field. The airplane and a 150-ft-tall antenna tower located on the east edge of the field were substantially damaged, and a portion of the tower structure was found entangled with the right wing. The pilot was seriously injured. Review of astronomical data indicated that the sun at the time of the accident in relation to the tower location was almost due east. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tower/antenna (incl guy wires) › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Glare › Effect on personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,610 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 90 in the last 30 days; 2,503 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 16, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,885.0 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 3, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 10,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: General Electric H80-100 (turboprop); 2,885 hours total
- Operator: Dawson Brothers Spraying Service Inc
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Hawkinsville GA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 95°F (35°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 12:55 pm from K48A, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on May 12, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 12 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Weather Reports and Records - Sun Data for Accident Site | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Aerial Image of Accident Location | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Memorandum for Record - Information Provided by FAA | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.