# Accident 19980129000729A: Airtrc AT602, Wrightsville, GA, January 29, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 29, 1998, 08:00 local time
- Place: Wrightsville, GA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
- Location: 32.7208° N, 82.7199° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.7208&lon=-82.7199&mi=10
- Aircraft: N50929, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N50929-2013-08-14) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Air Tractor AT-602 (registry code 0390309, https://openairdocs.org/model/air-tractor-at-602) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-66 series (registry code 52118, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-canada-pt6a-66-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AIRTRC AT602
- Reported engine: PWA PT6A60A
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 6,098 total, 35 in this make and model, 150 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA98LA061](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA98LA061) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980129000729A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

PILOT RAN ENGINE FOR ONE HOUR TO REMOVE ICE FROM WINGS AND TRIED TO TAKE OFF. STALLED AT 50FT AGL IMPACTED GROUND. (.4)THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER THE ENGINE WAS STARTED, HE REMAINED ON THE GROUND ABOUT 45 MINUTES WITH IT RUNNING WHILE LOOKING OVER CHARTS, AND ALSO TO ELIMINATE FROST WHICH WAS ON THE WINGS.  HE ALSO PARKED THE AIRPLANE THE NIGHT BEFORE SO AS TO HAVE THE SUN CONTACT THE WINGS TO ELIMINATE THE FROST.  HE THEN MANEUVERED THE AIRPLANE ONTO THE RUNWAY AND WHEN HE APPLIED FULL POWER, THE ENGINE TORQUE WAS AT THE UPPER RED LINE.  ABOUT 1/2 WAY DOWN THE RUNWAY, HE NOTED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT ACCELERATING AS IT HAD THE DAY BEFORE, AND WITH INSUFFICIENT RUNWAY REMAINING TO STOP, HE CONTINUED THE TAKEOFF.  THE AIRPLANE LIFTED OFF THE GROUND THEN ROLLED TO THE LEFT, IMPACTED THE GROUND, AND ROLLED INVERTED.  THE PILOT EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY IN EXITING THE AIRPLANE OUT THE LEFT COCKPIT DOOR AND WAS ASSISTED BY GROUND PERSONNEL.  HIS INJURIES INCLUDED FRACTURED VERTABRAE.  POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE LEFT COCKPIT DOOR EMERGENCY RELEASE ASSEMBLY REVEALED THAT THE FORWARD HINGE WAS SLIGHT DENTED, NO OTHER DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED.  THE E                                   NGINE WAS REMOVED FROM THE AIRPLANE AND SENT TO THE MANUFACTURERS FACILITY FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION, WHCIH REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT FAILURE OF MALFUNCTION. (-23)INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM THE PILOT AND OTHER WITNESSES INDICATED THERE WAS ICE AND FROST ON THE WINGS OF THE AIRCRAFT.  PILOT STATED HE RAN THE ENGIEN FOR APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR TO REMOVE THE FROST FROM THE WINGS AND THEN ATTEMPTED TO TAKE OFF.  AT APPROXIMATELY 50 FT ALTITUDE THE ELFT WING DIPPED AND THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB MIA98LA061](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA98LA061), Jan 29, 1998: Air Tractor AT-602 (N50929), Wrightsville, GA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The failure of the pilot to maintain airspeed (Vs) resulting in the inadvertent stall during the initial climb.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.