What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 25, 2022 at approximately 1030 local time privacy data omitted, an Air tractor model 602, serial number 602-1209 returned for landing at Nolte Farms Airport, a privately owned and operated 2500 x 75 foot grass runway after conducting aerial application operations. During landing, the pilot reported that he lost control of the aircraft while attempting to steer using brake application on the grass runway that had residual moisture on the grass from a light rain approximately 4 hours prior to the flight which caused the aircraft to skid resulting in loss of control and impact with the agricultural crops surrounding the runway. After contacting the adjacent crops the aircraft reportedly spun rapidly and overturned causing substantial damage to the left wing, and the empennage and tail assembly to be compressed and bent laterally 90 degrees to the fuselage and parallel to the right wing trailing edge. The aircraft continued to rotate in both the vertical and horizontal planes until it came to rest inverted. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the vertical and horizontal stabilizer, empennage, left wing tip, left aileron, and left flap. Additional damage was sustained by the right wing tip, canopy, propeller, engine cowling, and all applicator attachments. The pilot did not sustain injuries, and was able to exit the aircraft without assistance. No post impact fire was noted.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 25, 2022 AT APPROXIMATELY 1030 LOCAL TIME ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, AN AIR TRACTOR MODEL 602, SERIAL NUMBER 602-1209 RETURNED FOR LANDING AT NOLTE FARMS AIRPORT, A PRIVATELY OWNED AND OPERATED 2500 X 75 FOOT GRASS RUNWAY AFTER CONDUCTING AERIAL APPLICATION OPERATIONS. DURING LANDING, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STEER USING BRAKE APPLICATION ON THE GRASS RUNWAY THAT HAD RESIDUAL MOISTURE ON THE GRASS FROM A LIGHT RAIN APPROXIMATELY 4 HOURS PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT WHICH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO SKID RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL AND IMPACT WITH THE AGRICULTURAL CROPS SURROUNDING THE RUNWAY. AFTER CONTACTING THE ADJACENT CROPS THE AIRCRAFT REPORTEDLY SPUN RAPIDLY AND OVERTURNED CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING, AND THE EMPENNAGE AND TAIL ASSEMBLY TO BE COMPRESSED AND BENT LATERALLY 90 DEGREES TO THE FUSELAGE AND PARALLEL TO THE RIGHT WING TRAILING EDGE. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO ROTATE IN BOTH THE VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL PLANES UNTIL IT CAME TO REST INVERTED. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, EMPENNAGE, LEFT WING TIP, LEFT AILERON, AND LEFT FLAP. ADDITIONAL DAMAGE WAS SUSTAINED BY THE RIGHT WING TIP, CANOPY, PROPELLER, ENGINE COWLING, AND ALL APPLICATOR ATTACHMENTS. THE PILOT DID NOT SUSTAIN INJURIES, AND WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT ASSISTANCE. NO POST IMPACT FIRE WAS NOTED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.