20240110000059A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Air Tractor AT-502A · Stratford, CA · January 10, 2024

Date: January 10, 2024 · 10:15 local
Place: Stratford, CA
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: PWDG
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N6126U
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR24LA070
Reported as: Air Tractor AT-502A
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 30,400 total

N6126URegistered now · Air Tractor AT-502AS/N 502A-0298 · Built 1995 Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-502A Engine modelPratt & Whitney PT6A seriesTurbo-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.

After aircraft takeoff at roughly 200 feet altitude pilot in command reported the aircraft lost engine power. Made an emergency landing in nearby orchard. Landing caused substantial damage to the aircraft. Single pilot, no passengers and no injuries.

As the FAA filed it

AFTER AIRCRAFT TAKEOFF AT ROUGHLY 200 FEET ALTITUDE PILOT IN COMMAND REPORTED THE AIRCRAFT LOST ENGINE POWER. MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN NEARBY ORCHARD. LANDING CAUSED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. SINGLE PILOT, NO PASSENGERS AND NO INJURIES.

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 WPR24LA070Accident · No injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportStratford, CAA partial loss of engine power due to the malfunction of the engine compressor bleed-off valve.Jan 10, 2024 · Substantial damage