20170622008589A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Air Tractor AT-502B · Portales, NM · June 22, 2017

Date: June 22, 2017 · 17:56 local
Place: Portales, NM
Phase of flight: Maneuver
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: K3AG
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N700LA
NTSB investigation: NTSBGAA17CA360
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, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,050 total1,600 in this make and model75 in the last 90 days

N700LARegistration cancelled Sep 26, 2017 · Air Tractor AT-502BS/N 502B-0700 · Built 2004 Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-502B Engine modelPratt & Whitney PT6A seriesReciprocating

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 dispensing chemicals for grass hopper eradication. Making a turn and losing momentum, he realized he was not going to be able to climb over the power transmission lines and was approaching stall speed. He lowered the nose to fly under the power lines and the landing gear struck a high spot on the ground. The airplane flipped inverted and caught fire. Pilot was able to get out without injury. The airplane was destroyed by the fire.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT WAS DISPENSING CHEMICALS FOR GRASS HOPPER ERADICATION. MAKING A TURN AND LOSING MOMENTUM, HE REALIZED HE WAS NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO CLIMB OVER THE POWER TRANSMISSION LINES AND WAS APPROACHING STALL SPEED. HE LOWERED THE NOSE TO FLY UNDER THE POWER LINES AND THE LANDING GEAR STRUCK A HIGH SPOT ON THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE FLIPPED INVERTED AND CAUGHT FIRE. PILOT WAS ABLE TO GET OUT WITHOUT INJURY. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED BY THE FIRE.

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 GAA17CA360Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportPortales, NMThe pilot's decision to fly the airplane under transmission lines while maneuvering at low altitude in high-density altitude conditions, which resulted in subsequent collision with terrain.Jun 22, 2017 · Destroyed