20050107000069I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Airtrc AT-502A · Slaton, TX · January 7, 2005

Date: January 7, 2005 · 11:25 local
Place: Slaton, TX
Airport: Slaton Municipal Airport
Phase of flight: Takeoff Ground Roll
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: TWVG
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N502DL
Reported as: Airtrc AT502A
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A45
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 6,622 total6,000 in this make and model

N502DLRegistered now · Air Tractor AT-502AS/N 502A-0176 · Built 1992 Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-502A Engine modelPratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-45Turbo-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) The pilot taxied N502DL to runway 35 at the Slaton Municipal Airport (F49) in Slaton, Texas, after purchasing fuel for a reposition flight to town and country airport (F82) in lubbock, Texas, where the aircraft is based. The pilot was unable to maintain directional control of the aircraft due to a strong gusting cross wind from the west, coupled by the engine torque and gyroscopic effect as the tail wheel was raised. The pilot stated he was unable to maintain directional control of the aircraft as it veered left. The aircraft departed the runway striking the VASI lights before it came to a stop on the grass west of runway 35. There were no injuries and the aircraft received minor damage to the propeller. The Slaton airport does not have a weather reporting facility.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT TAXIED N502DL TO RUNWAY 35 AT THE SLATON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (F49) IN SLATON, TEXAS, AFTER PURCHASING FUEL FOR A REPOSITION FLIGHT TO TOWN AND COUNTRY AIRPORT (F82) IN LUBBOCK, TEXAS, WHERE THE AIRCRAFT IS BASED. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT DUE TO A STRONG GUSTING CROSS WIND FROM THE WEST, COUPLED BY THE ENGINE TORQUE AND GYROSCOPIC EFFECT AS THE TAIL WHEEL WAS RAISED. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AS IT VEERED LEFT. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY STRIKING THE VASI LIGHTS BEFORE IT CAME TO A STOP ON THE GRASS WEST OF RUNWAY 35. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER. THE SLATON AIRPORT DOES NOT HAVE A WEATHER REPORTING FACILITY.