OpenAirDocs.org

19980313003349A

Accident · Destroyed
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Airtrc AT-402A · Moreland, ID · March 13, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
March 13, 1998 · 14:00 local
Place
Moreland, ID
Phase of flight
To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N50963
NTSB investigation
NTSBSEA98LA045
Reported as
Airtrc AT402A
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney PT6A11AG
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
9,808 total
N50963Registration cancelled Oct 21, 1998 · Air Tractor AT-402AS/N 402A1046Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-402A

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.

Impacted ground inverted. Indicates a stall spin type. No details. Engines at idle. (.4)the (PIC) pilot-in-command (prospective buyer) was given an oral checkout and training by a representative of the aircraft sales distributor and then he departed on his first flight. He had never flown this make/model, and reportedly had no turbine/turbo-prop experience. He had accumulated over 600 hours in a reciprocating powered crop duster with similar flight characteristics. Several witnesses reported observing the aircraft in a spin, and on-site examination revealed that the aircraft impacted in a slight nose/right wing low, inverted attitude with no forward momentum. No witnesses observed the entry maneuver that led to the inverted spin. The engine was disassembled and no evidence of mechanical malfunction was found. The weight and center of gravity was within limits at the time of the accident. (-23)aircraft impacted ground inverted. No inflight failure, no fire. Powerplant functioning, but at idle power.

As the FAA filed it

IMPACTED GROUND INVERTED. INDICATES A STALL SPIN TYPE. NO DETAILS. ENGINES AT IDLE. (.4)THE (PIC) PILOT-IN-COMMAND (PROSPECTIVE BUYER) WAS GIVEN AN ORAL CHECKOUT AND TRAINING BY A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE AIRCRAFT SALES DISTRIBUTOR AND THEN HE DEPARTED ON HIS FIRST FLIGHT. HE HAD NEVER FLOWN THIS MAKE/MODEL, AND REPORTEDLY HAD NO TURBINE/TURBO-PROP EXPERIENCE. HE HAD ACCUMULATED OVER 600 HOURS IN A RECIPROCATING POWERED CROP DUSTER WITH SIMILAR FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS. SEVERAL WITNESSES REPORTED OBSERVING THE AIRCRAFT IN A SPIN, AND ON-SITE EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED IN A SLIGHT NOSE/RIGHT WING LOW, INVERTED ATTITUDE WITH NO FORWARD MOMENTUM. NO WITNESSES OBSERVED THE ENTRY MANEUVER THAT LED TO THE INVERTED SPIN. THE ENGINE WAS DISASSEMBLED AND NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. THE WEIGHT AND CENTER OF GRAVITY WAS WITHIN LIMITS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. (-23)AIRCRAFT IMPACTED GROUND INVERTED. NO INFLIGHT FAILURE, NO FIRE. POWERPLANT FUNCTIONING, BUT AT IDLE POWER.

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 SEA98LA045Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportMoreland, IDThe pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control resulting in an inadvertent stall/spin. A factor was his lack of familiarity in the make/model.Mar 13, 1998 · Destroyed