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20020722017579A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Airtrc AT-401B · Pratt, KS · July 22, 2002

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 22, 2002 · 10:40 local
Place
Pratt, KS
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
WDPG
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N60747
NTSB investigation
NTSBCHI02LA206
Reported as
Airtrc AT401B
N60747Registration cancelled Nov 16, 2011 · Air Tractor AT-401BS/N 401B-1000 · Built 1996Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-401BEngine modelPratt & Whitney R1340 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.

(.19) On July 22, 2002, at 1040 central daylight time, an air tractor AT-401B, N60747, operated by farmers spraying service inc., was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during an approach to a cornfield. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR part 137 aerial application flight was not operating on a flight plan. The airline transport pilot was uninjured. The local flight originated from the Pratt industrial airport (ptt), Pratt, Kansas, at 1028. (-23) on 07/22/02 at approximately 1040 local, anthony r. sturgeon (pilot cert. No. 510780143) was conducting agricultural operations in an air tractor 401B, approximately 4 miles north and 3 miles west of the Pratt, KS municipal airport. The pilot stated, on the fourth pass over the corn field, the sink rate of the aircraft became excessive and the aircraft impacted in the corn field. The on scene investigation revealed the aircraft settled into the corn, right wing heavy. As forward motion continued, the right wing and propeller clipped off corn tops. When the aircraft's main landing gear impacted the corn field, the tail section pitched up and to the left. The air craft impacted the ground (2nd time) coming to rest at approximately 130 to 160 degrees from the original flight path. The aircraft was substantially damaged and the pilot was not injured.

As the FAA filed it

(.19) ON JULY 22, 2002, AT 1040 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AIR TRACTOR AT-401B, N60747, OPERATED BY FARMERS SPRAYING SERVICE INC., WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN DURING AN APPROACH TO A CORNFIELD. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE 14 CFR PART 137 AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT WAS NOT OPERATING ON A FLIGHT PLAN. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT WAS UNINJURED. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE PRATT INDUSTRIAL AIRPORT (PTT), PRATT, KANSAS, AT 1028. (-23) ON 07/22/02 AT APPROXIMATELY 1040 LOCAL, ANTHONY R. STURGEON (PILOT CERT. NO. 510780143) WAS CONDUCTING AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS IN AN AIR TRACTOR 401B, APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES NORTH AND 3 MILES WEST OF THE PRATT, KS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. THE PILOT STATED, ON THE FOURTH PASS OVER THE CORN FIELD, THE SINK RATE OF THE AIRCRAFT BECAME EXCESSIVE AND THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED IN THE CORN FIELD. THE ON SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED INTO THE CORN, RIGHT WING HEAVY. AS FORWARD MOTION CONTINUED, THE RIGHT WING AND PROPELLER CLIPPED OFF CORN TOPS. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT'S MAIN LANDING GEAR IMPACTED THE CORN FIELD, THE TAIL SECTION PITCHED UP AND TO THE LEFT. THE AIR CRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND (2ND TIME) COMING TO REST AT APPROXIMATELY 130 TO 160 DEGREES FROM THE ORIGINAL FLIGHT PATH. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED.

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 CHI02LA206Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPratt, KSThe pilot's failure to maintain terrain clearance. A factor was low altitude flight.Jul 22, 2002 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N60747 · 1

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

Accident 20090804016509AManeuver · Oelwein, IA(-23) Two separate witnesses stated that the aircraft let out a puff of smoke prior to the accident. The aircraft lost engine power. The pilot made an emergency landing in the cornfield. The initial investigation revealed that the engine was not producing…Aug 4, 2009 · Substantial damage