20020520011209A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Airtrc AT-402 · Hughes, AR · May 20, 2002

Date: May 20, 2002 · 07:40 local
Place: Hughes, AR
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: UTCG
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N91660
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW02LA158
Reported as: Airtrc AT402

N91660Registration cancelled Oct 23, 2013 · Air Tractor AT-402S/N 402-0903 · Built 1993 Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-402 Engine modelPratt & Whitney PT6A seriesReciprocating

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.

(-23) On may 20, 2002, approximately 0740 central daylight time, an air tractor 402 agricultural airplane, N91660, sustained substantial damage while landing at a private grass airstrip near Hughes, Arkansas. The commercial pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. The flight originated from another private airstrip near Hughes at 0720. The pilot reported that while spraying a field, he was having trouble with three spray nozzles, and decided to return to the airstrip and repair them. He reported that after touchind down, the tail wheel was not locking properly; however, he was able to maintain directional control of the airplane. Subsequently, the airplane "kicked to the left, like something had come loose back there." The airplane's left spray boom became entangled in the adjacent wheat crop, pulling it off the left side of the airstrip. The airplane ground looped, and came to rest in an upright position.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON MAY 20, 2002, APPROXIMATELY 0740 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AIR TRACTOR 402 AGRICULTURAL AIRPLANE, N91660, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHILE LANDING AT A PRIVATE GRASS AIRSTRIP NEAR HUGHES, ARKANSAS. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRPLANE, WAS NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM ANOTHER PRIVATE AIRSTRIP NEAR HUGHES AT 0720. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE SPRAYING A FIELD, HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH THREE SPRAY NOZZLES, AND DECIDED TO RETURN TO THE AIRSTRIP AND REPAIR THEM. HE REPORTED THAT AFTER TOUCHIND DOWN, THE TAIL WHEEL WAS NOT LOCKING PROPERLY; HOWEVER, HE WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE "KICKED TO THE LEFT, LIKE SOMETHING HAD COME LOOSE BACK THERE." THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT SPRAY BOOM BECAME ENTANGLED IN THE ADJACENT WHEAT CROP, PULLING IT OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRSTRIP. THE AIRPLANE GROUND LOOPED, AND CAME TO REST IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION.

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 FTW02LA158Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportHughes, ARthe pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll. Contributing factors were the malfunction of the tail wheel locking mechanism and the high vegetation along the sides of the airstrip.May 20, 2002 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N91660 · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19980507046869AForrest City, AR(-23) The pilot was making an easterly swath ren over a rice field. The sun was in the east (07:00 local time). The windshield had some spray particles on it from previous swath runs. These two factors combined caused the forward visibility to be poor. The…May 7, 1998 · No damage