20030912022629A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Airtrc AT-502B · Farwell, TX · September 12, 2003

Date: September 12, 2003 · 09:00 local
Place: Farwell, TX
Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: T3SG
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N61353
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW03LA223
Reported as: Airtrc AT502B
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A34AG
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Pilot’s flight hours: 4,591 total855 in this make and model350 in the last 90 days

N61353Registration cancelled Jan 24, 2006 · Air Tractor AT-502BS/N 502B-0366 · Built 1996 Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-502B 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 September 12, 2003, approximately 0900 central daylight time, an air tractor AT-502B, N61353, was destroyed when it impacted the ground following a loss of control. The aircraft was owned by tate spraying service, inc., of clovis, new Mexico. The pilot was fatally injured in the crash. The pilot was conducting aerial application operations and lost control while maneuvering. Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft flying south bound and then pulled-up abruptly into a nose high, "almost vertical" attitude. The aircraft gained a lot of altitude, the aircraft began to bank to the right, and went straight down, according to witnesses. The aircraft impacted the ground in a nose low attitude and came to rest right side up in a field. The weather was clear skies, light winds, and better then 10 miles visibility.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2003, APPROXIMATELY 0900 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AIR TRACTOR AT-502B, N61353, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED THE GROUND FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OWNED BY TATE SPRAYING SERVICE, INC., OF CLOVIS, NEW MEXICO. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED IN THE CRASH. THE PILOT WAS CONDUCTING AERIAL APPLICATION OPERATIONS AND LOST CONTROL WHILE MANEUVERING. WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING THE AIRCRAFT FLYING SOUTH BOUND AND THEN PULLED-UP ABRUPTLY INTO A NOSE HIGH, "ALMOST VERTICAL" ATTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT GAINED A LOT OF ALTITUDE, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO BANK TO THE RIGHT, AND WENT STRAIGHT DOWN, ACCORDING TO WITNESSES. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE AND CAME TO REST RIGHT SIDE UP IN A FIELD. THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR SKIES, LIGHT WINDS, AND BETTER THEN 10 MILES VISIBILITY.

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 FTW03LA223Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportFarwell, TXThe pilot's failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering which resulted in an inadvertent stall.Sep 12, 2003 · Destroyed