# Accident 19980303002429A: Airtrc AT502B, Lake Village, AR, March 3, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 3, 1998, 16:45 local time
- Place: Lake Village, AR
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff Ground Roll
- Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
- Location: 33.3201° N, 91.2791° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.3201&lon=-91.2791&mi=10
- Aircraft: N60762, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N60762-2004-04-13) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Air Tractor AT-502B (registry code 0390307, https://openairdocs.org/model/air-tractor-at-502b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A series (registry code 52034, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-pt6a-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AIRTRC AT502B
- Reported engine: PWA PT6A34AG
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 5,800 total, 60 in this make and model, 60 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW98LA140](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA140) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980303002429A

## Narrative

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

ACFT RIGHT MAIN GEAR BECAME STUCK IN THE MUD ON TAKEOFF AND FLIPPED OVER, LAKE VILLAGE, AR. (-23) ON MARCH 3, 1998, AT 4:35 PM CST, AN AIR TRACTOR, AT-502B, AG-PLANE, REGISTERED TO HENSLEY FLYING SERVICE, INC., LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL ON TAKEOFF DUE TO WHEEL-RUTS (TRENCHES) THAT THE PILOT INADVERTENTLY ENCOUNTERED SHORTLY AFTER TAIL-WHEEL WAS OFF THE GROUND. THE RUTS CAUSED THE AIRPLANE TO VEER TO THE RIGHT WHERE THE GROUND WAS SOFT (WET), THUS CAUSING THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR TO BECOME MIRED IN MUD.  CONSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE FLIPPED CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOADED WITH LIQUID-FERTILIZER ON A DISPENSING MISSION TO DISPENSE ON A NEARBY WHEAT CROP. THIS REPORT AND INVESTIGATION ARE CLOSED.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Y.4)AFTER FILLING HIS AERIAL APPLICATION AIRCRAFT WITH 350 GALLONS OF LIQUID FERTILIZER, THE PILOT BEGAN HIS TAKEOFF ROLL. AS THE AIRPLANE'S TAIL LIFTED OFF OF THE GROUND, THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR ENTERED A RUT, WHICH RESULTED IN THE AIRCRAFT DECELERATING AND VEERING TO THE RIGHT INTO SOFT GROUND. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRCRAFT 'FLIPPED' OVER ONTO ITS BACK.  THE PILOT STATED THAT HE AND THE LANDOWNER DROVE 'UP AND DOWN THE AIRSTRIP STOPPING SEVERAL TIMES TO TEST THE CONDITION OF THE STRIP' PRIOR TO HIS INITIAL LANDING TO THE STRIP.  HE FURTHER STATED THAT '[HE] NOTICED THE STRIP TO BE A LITTLE ROUGH BUT [HE] FELT THAT IT WAS FIRM ENOUGH TO WORK OFF OF.'  THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING HIS INITIAL LANDING HE DID NOT NOTICE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE STRIP.

## 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 FTW98LA140](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA140), Mar 3, 1998: Air Tractor AT-502B (N60762), Lake Village, AR, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's use of unsuitable terrain for takeoff. A factor was the rough/uneven terrain.

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.