20200208000759A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Air Tractor AT-504 · Ft. Morgan, CO · February 8, 2020

Date: February 8, 2020 · 13:00 local
Place: Ft. Morgan, CO
Airport: Fort Morgan Municipal
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N970FA
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN20CA079
Reported as: Air Tractor AT-504
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34AG
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,824 total2 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days

N970FARegistration cancelled Apr 6, 2021 · Air Tractor AT-504S/N 504-4028 · Built 2015 Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-504 Engine 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.

The pilot lost control of the aircraft on landing. After a small bounce, the aircraft swung to the left. The pilot over corrected to the right and then to the left. Hard braking was applied to avoid departing the runway. The aircraft spun approximately 120 degrees to the right, blowing out the right main tire and breaking off the tailwheel. The tailwheel mounting bracket dug into the asphalt and twisted the aft fuselage causing substantial damage.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT ON LANDING. AFTER A SMALL BOUNCE, THE AIRCRAFT SWUNG TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT OVER CORRECTED TO THE RIGHT AND THEN TO THE LEFT. HARD BRAKING WAS APPLIED TO AVOID DEPARTING THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT SPUN APPROXIMATELY 120 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT, BLOWING OUT THE RIGHT MAIN TIRE AND BREAKING OFF THE TAILWHEEL. THE TAILWHEEL MOUNTING BRACKET DUG INTO THE ASPHALT AND TWISTED THE AFT FUSELAGE CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.

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 CEN20CA079Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportFort Morgan, COThe pilot's improper landing flare, which resulted in a bounced landing, and his subsequent failure to maintain directional control, which resulted in the left main landing gear tire bursting and the tailwheel assembly failing.Feb 8, 2020 · Substantial damage