20050519007929A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Airtrc AT-602 · Ralls, TX · May 19, 2005

Date: May 19, 2005 · 09:44 local
Place: Ralls, TX
Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: TNDG
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N9017Z
NTSB investigation: NTSBDFW05LA126
Reported as: Airtrc AT602
Reported engine: PT6A60AG
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Pilot’s flight hours: 21,000 total2,450 in this make and model150 in the last 90 days

N9017ZRegistration cancelled Jun 29, 2006 · Air Tractor AT-602S/N 602-0546 · Built 1999 Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-602 Engine modelPratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-66 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) An agricultural pilot was scheduled to complete his second loadof herbicide spray against mesquite growth and was expected back at the crosbyton airport in crosbyton, Texas, for another load of chemicals and refueling at 0930 CDT. He mentioned to the ground crew, his son, that the aileron was giving him problems, but he could work through it. There were no witnesses, but some time before 0930 CDT, the last five feet of the right wing of the AT-602 contacted a weather antenna at about 195 feet above the ground, three feet from the top. The aircraft struck the ground, nose low, wings level, 831 feet from the tower, along a heading of 38 degrees, which is the same direction as the crosbyton airport. The impact was fatal for the pilot and caused the fuselage to separate resulting in a post-crash fire. There was no evidence of a large amount of residual chemicals and only a minimum amount of fuel was present to burn.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AN AGRICULTURAL PILOT WAS SCHEDULED TO COMPLETE HIS SECOND LOADOF HERBICIDE SPRAY AGAINST MESQUITE GROWTH AND WAS EXPECTED BACK AT THE CROSBYTON AIRPORT IN CROSBYTON, TEXAS, FOR ANOTHER LOAD OF CHEMICALS AND REFUELING AT 0930 CDT. HE MENTIONED TO THE GROUND CREW, HIS SON, THAT THE AILERON WAS GIVING HIM PROBLEMS, BUT HE COULD WORK THROUGH IT. THERE WERE NO WITNESSES, BUT SOME TIME BEFORE 0930 CDT, THE LAST FIVE FEET OF THE RIGHT WING OF THE AT-602 CONTACTED A WEATHER ANTENNA AT ABOUT 195 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THREE FEET FROM THE TOP. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND, NOSE LOW, WINGS LEVEL, 831 FEET FROM THE TOWER, ALONG A HEADING OF 38 DEGREES, WHICH IS THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE CROSBYTON AIRPORT. THE IMPACT WAS FATAL FOR THE PILOT AND CAUSED THE FUSELAGE TO SEPARATE RESULTING IN A POST-CRASH FIRE. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A LARGE AMOUNT OF RESIDUAL CHEMICALS AND ONLY A MINIMUM AMOUNT OF FUEL WAS PRESENT TO BURN.

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 DFW05LA126Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportRalls, TXThe pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the antenna tower. Contributing factors were the recency of the tower's construction and the lack of obstruction lights on the tower.May 19, 2005 · Destroyed

Other reports on N9017Z · 1

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

Accident 20050318003089ATakeoff Ground Roll · Crosbyton, TX(-23) On March 18, 2005, at approximately 1520 CST, an air tractor AT-602 aircraft, N9017Z, experienced loss of rudder control during takeoff at Crosbyton airport (8F3), Crosbyton, Texas, and subsequently sustained substantial damage. The pilot, who was the…Mar 18, 2005 · Substantial damage