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20130207002059A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Air Tractor AT-502 · Forrest City, AR · February 7, 2013

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 7, 2013 · 15:16 local
Place
Forrest City, AR
Airport
Forrest City
Phase of flight
Maneuver
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
KTEG
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N198LA
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN13LA168
Reported as
Air Tractor AT-502
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney PT6A series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
22,000 total150 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days
N198LARegistered now · Air Tractor AT-502S/N 502-0198 · Built 1993Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-502Engine modelPratt & Whitney PT6A 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.

The pilot stated after making the first pass, spraying water to test the GPS, he started a left turn. At the top of the turn at about 45 degrees bank suddenly the a/c rolled left then right, trying to go inverted. The left aileron was violently flapping up and down (fluttering). The aircraft slowed down to 80 KTS and was not controllable. A controlled landing was attempted. The aircraft headed for hay bales on airport property, barely under control. The aircraft struck the hay bales and the ground. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The pilot survived uninjured.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT STATED AFTER MAKING THE FIRST PASS, SPRAYING WATER TO TEST THE GPS, HE STARTED A LEFT TURN. AT THE TOP OF THE TURN AT ABOUT 45 DEGREES BANK SUDDENLY THE A/C ROLLED LEFT THEN RIGHT, TRYING TO GO INVERTED. THE LEFT AILERON WAS VIOLENTLY FLAPPING UP AND DOWN (FLUTTERING). THE AIRCRAFT SLOWED DOWN TO 80 KTS AND WAS NOT CONTROLLABLE. A CONTROLLED LANDING WAS ATTEMPTED. THE AIRCRAFT HEADED FOR HAY BALES ON AIRPORT PROPERTY, BARELY UNDER CONTROL. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE HAY BALES AND THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT SURVIVED UNINJURED.

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 CEN13LA168Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportForrest City, ARThe in-flight separation of the left aileron's push-pull rod and hardware. Contributing to the accident was the failure of maintenance personnel to apply proper torque to the self-locking nuts.Feb 7, 2013 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N198LA · 1

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

Accident 20090529011239ATakeoff · Mendota, IL(-23) On may 29, 2009 at 0745 Mr. Donald lee younglove was pilot in command of an agricultural spraying aircraft, air tractor 502, N49PL when he crashed off the departure end of the runway shortly after takeoff. Mr younglove was departing runway 36 from…May 29, 2009 · Substantial damage