20220801008469A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Air Tractor AT-502 · Port Barre, LA · August 1, 2022

Date: August 1, 2022 · 06:40 local
Place: Port Barre, LA
Airport: Yankee Fld
Phase of flight: Maneuver
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: EBLG
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N407CT
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN22LA352
Reported as: Air Tractor AT-502
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-60A
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,500 total1,500 in this make and model200 in the last 90 days

N407CTRegistered now · Air Tractor AT-502S/N 502-0076 Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-502 Engine modelPratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-60ATurbo-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 Air tractor, model AT-502, departed in the morning to conduct a 14 CFR part 137 aerial application flight approximately 7 miles away from home base. The pilot just started spraying insecticide on the south side of U.S. Hwy 190 before the accident occurred. On the fourth pass spraying over the field, the aircraft struck a wire resulting in damage to the rudder. The pilot quickly assessed the situation and decided to fly back to home base (17LS-Yankee field) in Port Barre, LA. The inoperative rudder contributed to the Air tractor ground looping during landing at 0640CDT/1140Z.

As the FAA filed it

AN AIR TRACTOR, MODEL AT-502, DEPARTED IN THE MORNING TO CONDUCT A 14 CFR PART 137 AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT APPROXIMATELY 7 MILES AWAY FROM HOME BASE. THE PILOT JUST STARTED SPRAYING INSECTICIDE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF U.S. HWY 190 BEFORE THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. ON THE FOURTH PASS SPRAYING OVER THE FIELD, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A WIRE RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE RUDDER. THE PILOT QUICKLY ASSESSED THE SITUATION AND DECIDED TO FLY BACK TO HOME BASE (17LS-YANKEE FIELD) IN PORT BARRE, LA. THE INOPERATIVE RUDDER CONTRIBUTED TO THE AIR TRACTOR GROUND LOOPING DURING LANDING AT 0640CDT/1140Z.

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 CEN22LA352Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportWashington, LAThe pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a wire during an aerial application of a field.Aug 1, 2022 · Substantial damage