20030505008159A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Airtrc AT-503A · Pontiac, IL · May 5, 2003

Date: May 5, 2003 · 14:14 local
Place: Pontiac, IL
Phase of flight: Practice Training Manuevers
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: P7YG
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N503D
NTSB investigation: NTSBCHI03LA118
Reported as: Airtrc AT503A
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2
Pilot’s flight hours: 7,800 total

N503DRegistration cancelled May 12, 2005 · Air Tractor AT-503AS/N 503A-0067 · Built 1991 Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-503A Engine modelPratt & Whitney PT6A seriesTurbo-prop

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 05, 2003, at approximately 1414 central daylight time, an air tractor AT-503A, N503D, collided with terrain following a loss of control while maneuvering during a training flight near Pontiac, IL. The certified flight instructor and commercial rated student pilot both received fatal injuries. The airplane was destroyed. The flight departed Pontiac municipal airport approximately 1 hour and fifteen minutes prior to the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON MAY 05, 2003, AT APPROXIMATELY 1414 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AIR TRACTOR AT-503A, N503D, COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL WHILE MANEUVERING DURING A TRAINING FLIGHT NEAR PONTIAC, IL. THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND COMMERCIAL RATED STUDENT PILOT BOTH RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED PONTIAC MUNICIPAL AIRPORT APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR AND FIFTEEN MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED.

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 CHI03LA118Accident · 2 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportPontiac, ILThe pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin. A factor associated with the accident was the low altitude maneuver.May 5, 2003 · Substantial damage