What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On November 16, 2021, about 1836 mountain standard time, an Air Tractor Inc. AT-802A, N802NZ, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Estes Park, Colorado. The pilot received fatal injuries. The airplane was operated as a title 14 code of federal regulations part 137 aerial application flight. Video of the airplane showed the airplane wing?s rocking as it approached the intended drop location for the aerial firefighting of the kruger rock fire. Two witnesses stated that they saw the airplane roll inverted and did not see it descend into terrain. One of the witnesses, who was in radio communication with the pilot, stated that he did not hear the pilot transmit any problems with the airplane nor make any distress calls prior to the accident. The airplane wreckage was upright and displayed features of a low-speed, nose-down impact with sloping and wooded terrain. There was no ground scarring that preceded the wreckage. The wreckage did not display asymmetric wing damage consistent with yaw/bank on impact, and there was to lateral displacement of the empennage consistent with yaw on impact. The propeller exhibited torsional bending/twisting. The wreckage was retained for further examination. On December 9th, 2021 the wreckage was reviewed with reps from Air tractor and pratt and whitney. No anomolies were found that were preclude normal aircraft operations. NTSB weather data showed strong westerly winds along with visible satellite portraying rotor cloud signatures directly over the accident site. It is presumed that the aircraft was put in an unrecoverable unusual attitude that was unrecoverable given the low altitude of the aircraft at the time of upset. Pilot information omitted as it is unlikely their actions contributed to the event. No further action.
As the FAA filed it
ON NOVEMBER 16, 2021, ABOUT 1836 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, AN AIR TRACTOR INC. AT-802A, N802NZ, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NEAR ESTES PARK, COLORADO. THE PILOT RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED AS A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 137 AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT. VIDEO OF THE AIRPLANE SHOWED THE AIRPLANE WING?S ROCKING AS IT APPROACHED THE INTENDED DROP LOCATION FOR THE AERIAL FIREFIGHTING OF THE KRUGER ROCK FIRE. TWO WITNESSES STATED THAT THEY SAW THE AIRPLANE ROLL INVERTED AND DID NOT SEE IT DESCEND INTO TERRAIN. ONE OF THE WITNESSES, WHO WAS IN RADIO COMMUNICATION WITH THE PILOT, STATED THAT HE DID NOT HEAR THE PILOT TRANSMIT ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRPLANE NOR MAKE ANY DISTRESS CALLS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRPLANE WRECKAGE WAS UPRIGHT AND DISPLAYED FEATURES OF A LOW-SPEED, NOSE-DOWN IMPACT WITH SLOPING AND WOODED TERRAIN. THERE WAS NO GROUND SCARRING THAT PRECEDED THE WRECKAGE. THE WRECKAGE DID NOT DISPLAY ASYMMETRIC WING DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH YAW/BANK ON IMPACT, AND THERE WAS TO LATERAL DISPLACEMENT OF THE EMPENNAGE CONSISTENT WITH YAW ON IMPACT. THE PROPELLER EXHIBITED TORSIONAL BENDING/TWISTING. THE WRECKAGE WAS RETAINED FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION. ON DECEMBER 9TH, 2021 THE WRECKAGE WAS REVIEWED WITH REPS FROM AIR TRACTOR AND PRATT AND WHITNEY. NO ANOMOLIES WERE FOUND THAT WERE PRECLUDE NORMAL AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS. NTSB WEATHER DATA SHOWED STRONG WESTERLY WINDS ALONG WITH VISIBLE SATELLITE PORTRAYING ROTOR CLOUD SIGNATURES DIRECTLY OVER THE ACCIDENT SITE. IT IS PRESUMED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS PUT IN AN UNRECOVERABLE UNUSUAL ATTITUDE THAT WAS UNRECOVERABLE GIVEN THE LOW ALTITUDE OF THE AIRCRAFT AT THE TIME OF UPSET. PILOT INFORMATION OMITTED AS IT IS UNLIKELY THEIR ACTIONS CONTRIBUTED TO THE EVENT. NO FURTHER ACTION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.