20110418010802A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Air Tractor AT-502B · Marston, MO · April 18, 2011

Date
April 18, 2011 · 18:45 local
Place
Marston, MO
Phase of flight
Climb
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
PHMG
Collision
Midair collision
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N8516K
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN11LA296
Reported as
Air Tractor AT-502B
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney PT6A series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
5,447 total1,031 in this make and model11 in the last 90 days

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.

Both aircraft were engaged in aerial application. AT-802A N802KC was inbound southwest to new madrid county airport (eiw) from a field to the northeast of eiw. The AT-502B N8516K had just loaded and departed eiw on runway 18, turned east, then to the northeast of eiw. Climbing to an altitude of approximately 500 feet AGL, as stated by the pilot of N8516K, privacy data omitted, to return to a field northwest of eiw. At approximately two miles northeast of eiw, the two aircraft impacted. N8516K made a pull up evasive maneuver at sight of N802KC. The right landing gear of N8516K made contact with the vertical stabilizer of N802KC. The veritical stabilizer and rudder assembly departed N802KC, and the right main landing gear and tire assembly departed N8516K. The windscreen and right window plexiglass from N802KC was located in the debris path with the vertical stablilizer parts prior to the ground impact of N802KC. At ground impact, N802KC made contact with a utility pole with the right wing, followed by the tail section, which was torn from the fuselage. There was a post impact fire in the engine and hopper area. Any excess fuel or chemical was contained in a shallow ditch, which the aircraft's fuselage and wing assembly rested over. There was no evidence of chemical noted in the immediate area. N8516K was able to return to eiw, touching ground just right of runway 18 in the grass and coming to a stop on runway 18. There was no post impact fire, right wing received impact damage on the underside, no fuel in right wing and no chemical in the hopper and no chemical in the immediate area. The pilot of N802KC, privacy data omitted, was extracted from the aircraft and airlifted to cape girardeau, MO in critical condition. The pilot of N8615K, privacy data omitted, did not sustain any noted physical injuries. Both pilots hold valid pilot certificates, and both aircraft are within their respective maintenance inspection intervals.

As the FAA filed it

BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE ENGAGED IN AERIAL APPLICATION. AT-802A N802KC WAS INBOUND SOUTHWEST TO NEW MADRID COUNTY AIRPORT (EIW) FROM A FIELD TO THE NORTHEAST OF EIW. THE AT-502B N8516K HAD JUST LOADED AND DEPARTED EIW ON RUNWAY 18, TURNED EAST, THEN TO THE NORTHEAST OF EIW. CLIMBING TO AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET AGL, AS STATED BY THE PILOT OF N8516K, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, TO RETURN TO A FIELD NORTHWEST OF EIW. AT APPROXIMATELY TWO MILES NORTHEAST OF EIW, THE TWO AIRCRAFT IMPACTED. N8516K MADE A PULL UP EVASIVE MANEUVER AT SIGHT OF N802KC. THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR OF N8516K MADE CONTACT WITH THE VERTICAL STABILIZER OF N802KC. THE VERITICAL STABILIZER AND RUDDER ASSEMBLY DEPARTED N802KC, AND THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR AND TIRE ASSEMBLY DEPARTED N8516K. THE WINDSCREEN AND RIGHT WINDOW PLEXIGLASS FROM N802KC WAS LOCATED IN THE DEBRIS PATH WITH THE VERTICAL STABLILIZER PARTS PRIOR TO THE GROUND IMPACT OF N802KC. AT GROUND IMPACT, N802KC MADE CONTACT WITH A UTILITY POLE WITH THE RIGHT WING, FOLLOWED BY THE TAIL SECTION, WHICH WAS TORN FROM THE FUSELAGE. THERE WAS A POST IMPACT FIRE IN THE ENGINE AND HOPPER AREA. ANY EXCESS FUEL OR CHEMICAL WAS CONTAINED IN A SHALLOW DITCH, WHICH THE AIRCRAFT'S FUSELAGE AND WING ASSEMBLY RESTED OVER. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF CHEMICAL NOTED IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA. N8516K WAS ABLE TO RETURN TO EIW, TOUCHING GROUND JUST RIGHT OF RUNWAY 18 IN THE GRASS AND COMING TO A STOP ON RUNWAY 18. THERE WAS NO POST IMPACT FIRE, RIGHT WING RECEIVED IMPACT DAMAGE ON THE UNDERSIDE, NO FUEL IN RIGHT WING AND NO CHEMICAL IN THE HOPPER AND NO CHEMICAL IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA. THE PILOT OF N802KC, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND AIRLIFTED TO CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO IN CRITICAL CONDITION. THE PILOT OF N8615K, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY NOTED PHYSICAL INJURIES. BOTH PILOTS HOLD VALID PILOT CERTIFICATES, AND BOTH AIRCRAFT ARE WITHIN THEIR RESPECTIVE MAINTENANCE INSPECTION INTERVALS.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

Other aircraft in the event · 1

Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.