Fact Check

Did a Drunk Crop Duster Drop Manure From the Sky in Kansas?

A routine review of content labeled satire.

Published Dec. 9, 2019

 (Getty Images/Stock photo)
Image Via Getty Images/Stock photo
Claim:
A drunk crop duster dropped 4 tons of manure over Kansas.

On Dec. 7, 2019, World News Daily Report published an article positing that a drunk crop duster had accidentally dumped 4 tons of manure over Kansas:

Shit Falls From the Sky in Kansas: Drunk "Crop Duster" Plane Pilot Spreads 4 Tons of Manure Over City

El Dorado, Kansas | An agricultural airplane pilot made a serious mistake this morning while operating his aircraft under the influence of alcohol, accidentally dumping his cargo of manure over cars, houses, and residents.

According to the police report, 51-year old Barry Wood had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.48% when he was arrested, six times the legal limit allowed to drive a motor vehicle and 12 times the legal limit allowed to operate a plane.

He was supposed to spread 4 tons of liquid manure over fields belonging to his employer but his capacities were visibly too impaired.

This item was not a factual recounting of real-life events. The article originated with a website that describes its output as being humorous or satirical in nature, as follows:

World News Daily Report assumes all responsibility for the satirical nature of its articles and for the fictional nature of their content. All characters appearing in the articles in this website – even those based on real people – are entirely fictional and any resemblance between them and any person, living, dead or undead, is purely a miracle.

The photograph featured in this World News Daily Report article does show manure falling on a handful of vehicles, but it was not taken in 2019 in Kansas. This photograph was actually taken in France circa 2015 and shows farmers spraying manure on cars as part of a protest against low food prices.

For background, here is why we sometimes write about satire/humor.

Sources

Longeray, Pierre.   "French Farmers Are Dumping Manure on Buildings and Blockading Roads to Protest Low Food Prices."     Vice.   27 July 2015.

McAteer, Oliver.   "Farmers in France Have Been Spreading Manure in All Kinds of Weird Places."     Metro.   29 July 2015.

World News Daily Report.   "Shit Falls From the Sky in Kansas: Drunk "Crop Duster" Plane Pilot Spreads 4 Tons of Manure Over City."     7 December 2019.