What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Saturday, February 22 2020, at approximately 1505 local time aircraft N602BK, a AT-602 departed ^jimmy leblanc's^ private airstrip, which is between crowley and iota, LA, at approximately ^5162 mccain road^. The AT-602, N602BK, had just been released from maintenance. No discrepancies were noted during the acceptance/preflight inspection. Wind was calm, generally from the southeast, and the temperature was approximately 60 f. takeoff and enroute cruise for the 15 minute flight to the Bunkie Flying Service airstrip, 2LA4, was uneventful. The pilot planned and executed a straight in approach, landing to the north at 2LA4. The aircraft touched down at about 65 mph, just short of the concrete portion their runway, which allowed a little over 2,000 feet of stopping distance. The aircraft touched down on centerline, under control, and the tail settled to the runway normally as the pilot pulled the control stick full aft and applied brakes. At about 40 mph the pilot retracted the power lever into the beta range. The airplane began
To swerve to the left, and the pilot added full right rudder and applied more right brake. The turn continued, and in an attempt to slow the airplane and bring it under control, the pilot applied more beta thrust. The increased torque overcame the right rudder and
Brake forces and the airplane departed the runway at approximately a 30 degree angle, or about 330 degrees.
As the left tire contacted the rain-softened turf adjacent to the runway, the turn became nearly perpendicular to the runway, approaching a heading of 270 degrees. The forward momentum of the aircraft caused it to skid sideways, toward the right wing. As the
Aircraft rolled the short distance across the sod boundary between the concrete runway and the adjacent sugar cane field, it began a classic ground loop, and the turn increased
In momentum to the left as the left wheel, and then the right, contacted the first row of sugar cane. The soft, wet dirt provided enough resistance to impart significant twisting damage to the structure in the aft section of the fuselage as the aircraft continued to turn, but the tail did not. The outboard portion of the right wing contacted the ground and sustained damage as well.
As the FAA filed it
ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22 2020, AT APPROXIMATELY 1505 LOCAL TIME AIRCRAFT N602BK, A AT-602 DEPARTED ^JIMMY LEBLANC'S^ PRIVATE AIRSTRIP, WHICH IS BETWEEN CROWLEY AND IOTA, LA, AT APPROXIMATELY ^5162 MCCAIN ROAD^. THE AT-602, N602BK, HAD JUST BEEN RELEASED FROM MAINTENANCE. NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED DURING THE ACCEPTANCE/PREFLIGHT INSPECTION. WIND WAS CALM, GENERALLY FROM THE SOUTHEAST, AND THE TEMPERATURE WAS APPROXIMATELY 60 F. TAKEOFF AND ENROUTE CRUISE FOR THE 15 MINUTE FLIGHT TO THE BUNKIE FLYING SERVICE AIRSTRIP, 2LA4, WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE PILOT PLANNED AND EXECUTED A STRAIGHT IN APPROACH, LANDING TO THE NORTH AT 2LA4. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN AT ABOUT 65 MPH, JUST SHORT OF THE CONCRETE PORTION THEIR RUNWAY, WHICH ALLOWED A LITTLE OVER 2,000 FEET OF STOPPING DISTANCE. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON CENTERLINE, UNDER CONTROL, AND THE TAIL SETTLED TO THE RUNWAY NORMALLY AS THE PILOT PULLED THE CONTROL STICK FULL AFT AND APPLIED BRAKES. AT ABOUT 40 MPH THE PILOT RETRACTED THE POWER LEVER INTO THE BETA RANGE. THE AIRPLANE BEGAN
TO SWERVE TO THE LEFT, AND THE PILOT ADDED FULL RIGHT RUDDER AND APPLIED MORE RIGHT BRAKE. THE TURN CONTINUED, AND IN AN ATTEMPT TO SLOW THE AIRPLANE AND BRING IT UNDER CONTROL, THE PILOT APPLIED MORE BETA THRUST. THE INCREASED TORQUE OVERCAME THE RIGHT RUDDER AND
BRAKE FORCES AND THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE RUNWAY AT APPROXIMATELY A 30 DEGREE ANGLE, OR ABOUT 330 DEGREES.
AS THE LEFT TIRE CONTACTED THE RAIN-SOFTENED TURF ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY, THE TURN BECAME NEARLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE RUNWAY, APPROACHING A HEADING OF 270 DEGREES. THE FORWARD MOMENTUM OF THE AIRCRAFT CAUSED IT TO SKID SIDEWAYS, TOWARD THE RIGHT WING. AS THE
AIRCRAFT ROLLED THE SHORT DISTANCE ACROSS THE SOD BOUNDARY BETWEEN THE CONCRETE RUNWAY AND THE ADJACENT SUGAR CANE FIELD, IT BEGAN A CLASSIC GROUND LOOP, AND THE TURN INCREASED
IN MOMENTUM TO THE LEFT AS THE LEFT WHEEL, AND THEN THE RIGHT, CONTACTED THE FIRST ROW OF SUGAR CANE. THE SOFT, WET DIRT PROVIDED ENOUGH RESISTANCE TO IMPART SIGNIFICANT TWISTING DAMAGE TO THE STRUCTURE IN THE AFT SECTION OF THE FUSELAGE AS THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO TURN, BUT THE TAIL DID NOT. THE OUTBOARD PORTION OF THE RIGHT WING CONTACTED THE GROUND AND SUSTAINED DAMAGE AS WELL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.