19970812022479A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Airtrc AT402 · Patterson, LA · August 12, 1997

Date: August 12, 1997 · 10:30 local
Place: Patterson, LA
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N90PK
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW97LA311
Reported as: Airtrc AT402
Fatal injuries: 0

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Aircraft struck top of sugar cane while performing aerial application, nosed over into the field, bounced. (-23) while spraying pilot got too low, allowing gear to hit top of sugar cane, causing aircraft to nose over, resulting in prop strike, gear separation. Aircraft bounced up and came down on tail causing further damage to wings and empennage.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT STRUCK TOP OF SUGAR CANE WHILE PERFORMING AERIAL APPLICATION, NOSED OVER INTO THE FIELD, BOUNCED. (-23) WHILE SPRAYING PILOT GOT TOO LOW, ALLOWING GEAR TO HIT TOP OF SUGAR CANE, CAUSING AIRCRAFT TO NOSE OVER, RESULTING IN PROP STRIKE, GEAR SEPARATION. AIRCRAFT BOUNCED UP AND CAME DOWN ON TAIL CAUSING FURTHER DAMAGE TO WINGS AND EMPENNAGE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB FTW97LA311Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPatterson, LAThe pilot's failure to maintain terrain clearance.Aug 12, 1997 · Substantial damage