20200616007649A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Air Tractor AT-502B · Atmore, AL · June 16, 2020

Date: June 16, 2020 · 08:45 local
Place: Atmore, AL
Phase of flight: Maneuver
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: RZKG
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N879JA
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA20LA217
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: 7,116 total

N879JARegistered now · Air Tractor AT-502BS/N 502B-2879 · Built 2013 Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-502B 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.

An aerial application turbine aircraft was returning from his second and final load of the day. The pilot flew low level over his residence when the aircraft pulled straight up then performed what appeared to be a "hammer head" turn maneuver. However, as the aircraft dove down, the aircraft did not recover and struck the ground.

As the FAA filed it

AN AERIAL APPLICATION TURBINE AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNING FROM HIS SECOND AND FINAL LOAD OF THE DAY. THE PILOT FLEW LOW LEVEL OVER HIS RESIDENCE WHEN THE AIRCRAFT PULLED STRAIGHT UP THEN PERFORMED WHAT APPEARED TO BE A "HAMMER HEAD" TURN MANEUVER. HOWEVER, AS THE AIRCRAFT DOVE DOWN, THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT RECOVER AND STRUCK THE GROUND.

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 ERA20LA217Accident · 1 fatalClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportAtmore, ALThe pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack while maneuvering at low altitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall, spin, and loss of control.Jun 16, 2020 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N879JA · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20150510006669ATakeoff: Climb Out · Dighton, KSOn departure after making an immediate turn to the west, the pilot reduced power and the engine subsequently continued to decrease in torque. The pilot advanced the throttle, turned on the fuel boost pump and ignitors, with no effect. An emergency landing was…May 10, 2015 · Substantial damage