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20201002012259A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Air Tractor AT-402 · Egypt, AR · October 2, 2020

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 2, 2020 · 10:30 local
Place
Egypt, AR
Phase of flight
Other, Specify
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
I0TG
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N4540F
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN21LA005
Reported as
Air Tractor AT-402
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney PT6A series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,200 total550 in this make and model484 in the last 90 days
N4540FRegistered now · Air Tractor AT-402S/N 402-0784 · Built 1990Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-402Engine 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.

On October 2, 2020 an Air tractor AT-402, N4540F, was conducting spraying operations in the area of Egypt, AR. While edging a rice field with defol 5 the aircraft struck a tree branch overhang. The aircraft impacted the overhang on the right wing about 3/4 down the length of the wing. This caused buckling of the leading edge and removed the right wing tip.

The airman heard and felt the impact and noticed the damage as he pulled the aircraft up into a climb. The airman's first thought was to fly the aircraft back to base in cash, AR. However, the airman felt the aircraft continually wanting to roll and yaw to the right due to the damaged wing. Due to these circumstances the airman elected to conduct an off field landing in a bean field approxmently 1NM to the northwest of the strike location.

During landing, the aircraft experienced a sudden stoppage causing the aircraft to pitch forward onto the nose and come back down on the left wing wrinkling the last 1/4 of the wing. The aircraft also had engine mount and firewall damage cause by the nose up during landing.

As the FAA filed it

ON OCTOBER 2, 2020 AN AIR TRACTOR AT-402, N4540F, WAS CONDUCTING SPRAYING OPERATIONS IN THE AREA OF EGYPT, AR. WHILE EDGING A RICE FIELD WITH DEFOL 5 THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A TREE BRANCH OVERHANG. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE OVERHANG ON THE RIGHT WING ABOUT 3/4 DOWN THE LENGTH OF THE WING. THIS CAUSED BUCKLING OF THE LEADING EDGE AND REMOVED THE RIGHT WING TIP.

THE AIRMAN HEARD AND FELT THE IMPACT AND NOTICED THE DAMAGE AS HE PULLED THE AIRCRAFT UP INTO A CLIMB. THE AIRMAN'S FIRST THOUGHT WAS TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT BACK TO BASE IN CASH, AR. HOWEVER, THE AIRMAN FELT THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUALLY WANTING TO ROLL AND YAW TO THE RIGHT DUE TO THE DAMAGED WING. DUE TO THESE CIRCUMSTANCES THE AIRMAN ELECTED TO CONDUCT AN OFF FIELD LANDING IN A BEAN FIELD APPROXMENTLY 1NM TO THE NORTHWEST OF THE STRIKE LOCATION.

DURING LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN STOPPAGE CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO PITCH FORWARD ONTO THE NOSE AND COME BACK DOWN ON THE LEFT WING WRINKLING THE LAST 1/4 OF THE WING. THE AIRCRAFT ALSO HAD ENGINE MOUNT AND FIREWALL DAMAGE CAUSE BY THE NOSE UP DURING LANDING.

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 CEN21LA005Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportEgypt, ARThe pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a tree limb during a low-level aerial application flight.Oct 2, 2020 · Substantial damage