OpenAirDocs.org

20150505006419A

Accident · Destroyed
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Air Tractor AT-502B · Basile, LA · May 5, 2015

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
May 5, 2015 · 12:41 local
Place
Basile, LA
Phase of flight
Maneuver
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
3LAG
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N4221G
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN15LA222
Reported as
Air Tractor AT-502B
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34AG
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,100 total650 in this make and model
N4221GRegistration cancelled Apr 24, 2018 · Air Tractor AT-502BS/N 502B-2668 · Built 2009Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-502BEngine modelPratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34AGTurbo-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.

Pilot was fertilizing a rice field. On his last pass, he was approximately 35 ft high just outside of telephone poles/wires spraying the edge of field. At the end of that pass, the pilot did not clear the tree line running parrallel to the field and flight path. The tree line was mostly pine trees and started at the end of the field, extending for approximately 300 yards. The left wingtip hit the first tree causing the pilot to continue hitting the treeline for approximately another 100 yards. The third tree impact caused the aircraft to descend to the ground in a left bank of approximately 75-80°. The aircraft hit the ground initially with the propeller and spinner, went another 60 yds and impacted the ground again on the left side of the aircraft. From there the aircraft slid another 60-70 yds where it impacted a goup of smaller trees where it came to rest. The aircraft was on its left side, with right wing sticking straight up. Post crash fire destroyed the aircraft and fatally injured the pilot.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT WAS FERTILIZING A RICE FIELD. ON HIS LAST PASS, HE WAS APPROXIMATELY 35 FT HIGH JUST OUTSIDE OF TELEPHONE POLES/WIRES SPRAYING THE EDGE OF FIELD. AT THE END OF THAT PASS, THE PILOT DID NOT CLEAR THE TREE LINE RUNNING PARRALLEL TO THE FIELD AND FLIGHT PATH. THE TREE LINE WAS MOSTLY PINE TREES AND STARTED AT THE END OF THE FIELD, EXTENDING FOR APPROXIMATELY 300 YARDS. THE LEFT WINGTIP HIT THE FIRST TREE CAUSING THE PILOT TO CONTINUE HITTING THE TREELINE FOR APPROXIMATELY ANOTHER 100 YARDS. THE THIRD TREE IMPACT CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO DESCEND TO THE GROUND IN A LEFT BANK OF APPROXIMATELY 75-80°. THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE GROUND INITIALLY WITH THE PROPELLER AND SPINNER, WENT ANOTHER 60 YDS AND IMPACTED THE GROUND AGAIN ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. FROM THERE THE AIRCRAFT SLID ANOTHER 60-70 YDS WHERE IT IMPACTED A GOUP OF SMALLER TREES WHERE IT CAME TO REST. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON ITS LEFT SIDE, WITH RIGHT WING STICKING STRAIGHT UP. POST CRASH FIRE DESTROYED THE AIRCRAFT AND FATALLY INJURED THE PILOT.

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 CEN15LA222Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportBasile, LAThe pilot’ failure to maintain adequate clearance from trees while maneuvering during an aerial application flight.May 5, 2015 · Destroyed