# Accident 20180730018419A: Air Tractor Inc AT-502B, Louise, MS, July 30, 2018 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 30, 2018, 11:34 local time - Place: Louise, MS - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout - Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137) - Operator: 4FLG - Location: 33.0331° N, 90.6228° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.0331&lon=-90.6228&mi=10 - Aircraft: N205SK, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N205SK-2024-06-20) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Air Tractor AT-502B (registry code 0390307, https://openairdocs.org/model/air-tractor-at-502b) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A series (registry code 52034, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-pt6a-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AIR TRACTOR INC AT-502B - Reported engine: P&W PT6A SERIES - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, private pilot, student - Pilot flight hours: 1,400 total, 68 in this make and model, 68 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB GAA18CA476](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA18CA476) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180730018419A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. UPON RECEIVING NOTIFICATION OF AN ACCIDENT THAT OCCURRED OUTSIDE OF LOUISE, MS AT A PRIVATE AGRICULTURAL RUNWAY THE ASI WAS DISPATCHED AND ARRIVED AT 1330 CDT. THE RUNWAY WAS SURROUNDED BY TWO AND A HALF TO THREE FEET TALL COTTON PLANTS. EACH PLANT HAD NUMEROUS "BOWLS" OF UN-OPENED COTTON ON THEM. THE AIRCRAFT WAS POSITIONED APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET FROM THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COTTON FIELD. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LANDING HEADING 360, WITH A SLIGHT QUARTERING TAILWIND FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. THE RUNWAY IS APPROXIMATELY 2422 FT WITH THE FIRST 1400 FT CONSISTING OF COMPACTED SOIL WITH THE REMAINING DISTANCE BEING CONCRETE. NO NOTICEABLE INDENTATIONS OR RUTS WERE OBSERVED WHERE THE RUNWAY CHANGED FROM SOIL TO CONCRETE. TOUCHDOWN MARKS IN THE SOIL INDICATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS SLIGHTLY LEFT OF RUNWAY CENTER, AND SHOWED A LEFT DRIFT. THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO TOUCH-DOWN WITH APPROXIMATELY 1700 FT OF RUNWAY REMAINING WITH 380 FT BEING COMPACTED SOIL. AS THE AIRCRAFT DRIFTED TO THE LEFT, THE SPRAY BOOM AND LEFT WING STARTED TO IMPACT THE COTTON PLANTS WHICH EXAGGERATED THE LEFT DRIFT. WHEN INTERVIEWED THE ACCIDENT PILOT STATED THAT HE FELT THE DRIFT, APPLIED RIGHT RUDDER TO CORRECT BUT BY THE TIME HE RESPONDED, THE AIRCRAFT LEFT DRIFT WAS BEING EXAGGERATED BY THE LEFT SPRAY BOOM AND THEN LEFT WING BEING "GRABBED" BY THE COTTON BOWLS ON THE PLANTS. THE AIRCRAFT THEN ENTERED WHAT THE PILOT REPORTED AS A GROUND LOOP. THE LEFT SPRAY BOOM SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS APPROXIMATELY 40 FEET BEHIND WHERE THE AIRCRAFT FINALLY STOPPED. THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUT AND WHEEL SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT DURING THE GROUND LOOP. AS THE AIRCRAFT SLID IT IS SUSPECTED THAT THE RIGHT WING, AFTER SHEARING OF THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR ABSORBED THE WEIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE MAIN SPAR OF THE RIGHT WING BENT IN A 5 TO 10 DEGREE UPWARD DIRECTION TWO AND A HALF FEET FROM THE WING TIP. UPPER WING SKIN ABOVE THE BEND SHOWED COMPRESSION WRINKLING. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING STRUCTURE CLASSIFIES THIS AS AN ACCIDENT. OTHER MINOR DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT SKIN, PROPELLER BLADES, AND LOWER RUDDER WERE NOTED. NINE AREAS OF FAA RESPONSIBILITY WERE INVESTIGATED WITH NONE FOUND TO BE A FACTOR TO THIS ACCIDENT. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB GAA18CA476](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA18CA476), Jul 30, 2018: Air Tractor AT502 (N205SK), Louise, MS, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing and a subsequent loss of directional control. ## Other reports on N205SK (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20220710008409A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220710008409A), Jul 10, 2022: Air Tractor Inc AT-502B (N205SK), Wyoming, IL, Substantial damage. Narritive: The pilot landed on a non certified grass runway with a light quartering tailwind. Mature corn crop surrounded close proximity of both sides of the… - [Accident 20120718016659A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120718016659A), Jul 18, 2012: Air Tractor Inc AT-502B (N205SK), Sicily Island, LA, Substantial damage. Aircraft loaded with 375 gallons of ag chemical. Take off attempted on a grass airstrip. Aircraft got into ground effect appx 5 to 7 feet off the ground.… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.