20030622013439A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Airtrc AT-802A · Las Vegas, NM · June 22, 2003

Date: June 22, 2003 · 12:30 local
Place: Las Vegas, NM
Airport: Las Vegas Municipal Airport
Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N8505E
NTSB investigation: NTSBDEN03LA109
Reported as: Airtrc AT802A
Pilot’s flight hours: 20,000 total

N8505ERegistered now · Air Tractor AT-802AS/N 802A-0133 Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-802A

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 6/22/2003 pilot dan rinner was accomplishing fire fighting in a air tractor, AT-802-A, N8505E when he was caught in a downdraft, he was able to recover but the aircraft clipped the tree tops while departing the area. The aircraft was flown back to Las Vegas, NM airport. The pilot was not injured. Damage to the aircraft is substantial, including but not limited to the flaps, and horizontal stabilizer along with the landing gear.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON 6/22/2003 PILOT DAN RINNER WAS ACCOMPLISHING FIRE FIGHTING IN A AIR TRACTOR, AT-802-A, N8505E WHEN HE WAS CAUGHT IN A DOWNDRAFT, HE WAS ABLE TO RECOVER BUT THE AIRCRAFT CLIPPED THE TREE TOPS WHILE DEPARTING THE AREA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN BACK TO LAS VEGAS, NM AIRPORT. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT IS SUBSTANTIAL, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE FLAPS, AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER ALONG WITH THE LANDING GEAR.

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 DEN03LA109Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportLas Vegas, NMthe pilot's failure to maintain obstacle clearance and visual lookout. Contributing factors were his attention being diverted and the trees.Jun 22, 2003 · Substantial damage