# Accident 20240518009869A: Air Tractor Inc AT-502, Osborne, KS, May 18, 2024 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 18, 2024, 20:15 local time - Place: Osborne, KS - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Maneuver - Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137) - Operator: 72TG - Location: 39.2344° N, 98.7011° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.2344&lon=-98.7011&mi=10 - Aircraft: N15189, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N15189) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Air Tractor AT-502 (registry code 0390303, https://openairdocs.org/model/air-tractor-at-502) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A series (registry code 52032, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-pt6a-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AIR TRACTOR INC AT-502 - Reported engine: P & W PT6A SER - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot - Pilot flight hours: 1,782 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN24LA193](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN24LA193) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240518009869A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON 05/18/2024 AT APPROXIMATELY 8:15 PM CDT, A SINGLE ENGINE AT-502 AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AFTER LANDING EASTBOUND ON A RURAL ROAD APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES SOUTHWEST OF OSBORNE, KS. ONE SOUL WAS ON BOARD AT TIME OF ACCIDENT, WITH NO REPORTED INJURIES. ON 5/22/2024, AN AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR FROM THE WICHITA FSDO CONDUCTED AN ON-SCENE INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND TO HAVE VEERED LEFT AFTER AN EASTBOUND TOUCHDOWN ON A RURAL GRAVEL ROAD, COMING TO REST IN A LOW-LYING CULVERT FACING NORTH. THE LEFT AND RIGHT WINGTIPS SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL IMPACT DAMAGE AND THE RIGHT WING WAS OBSERVED TO HAVE COMPRESSION DAMAGE AT ABOUT MIDSPAN. THE SPRAY BOOM AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT ON THE BELLY OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS DAMAGED DUE TO CONTACT WITH UNEVEN TERRAIN AFTER THE LANDING SEQUENCE. ALL THREE PROPELLOR BLADES WERE BENT AFT AND TWISTED TOWARD LOW PITCH. EACH BLADE TIP WAS ALSO OBSERVED TO BE MISSING FROM ROTATIONAL DAMAGE AND THE TIPS COULD NOT BE LOCATED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. THREE DEEP GOUGES ON THE CAMBER SIDE TOWARD THE TRAILING EDGE WERE OBSERVED, AS WELL AS CHORDWISE SCORING NEAR THE BLADE TIPS ON ALL THREE PROPELLER BLADES. OBSERVATIONS OF THE COCKPIT, INSTRUMENTS AND FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WERE NOT COMPLETED DUE TO THE FAA IIC NOT DIRECTING THE ON-SCENE INSPECTOR TO CHECK THESE ITEMS. THE AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^REPRESENTATIVES APPLIED ELECTRIC POWER TO THE AIRCRAFT IN ORDER TO EXTEND THE FLAPS; THIS ACTION WAS TO FACILITATE REMOVING A BLOCKED PANEL ADJACENT TO RIGHT-HAND BROKEN ENTRANCE STEP. FUEL WAS OBSERVED ON BOARD TO BE AT LEAST HALFWAY FULL IN BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT TANKS. THE AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^REPRESENTATIVES REQUESTED AND WERE GRANTED PERMISSION BY THE IIC TO DEFUEL THE USABLE FUEL ON BOARD. THE AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ REPRESENTATIVES WERE ALSO GRANTED PERMISSION TO REMOVE THE FOLLOWING ITEMS FROM THE AIRCRAFT UNDER FAA SUPERVISION: 1EA SATLOC G4, STRATUS P/N 153510-000113, L-7 TYPE LIGHTBAR AND A MOTOROLA TWO-WAY RADIO. THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEREAFTER TRANSPORTED TO SALVAGE. ON 7/31/2024, ENGINE TEARDOWN AND ANALYSIS INDICATED THERE WAS NO POST-CRASH FIRE OR ABNORMAL HEAT-RELATED DAMAGE. PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE FROM 7/31/2024 CONFIRMS THE ABSENCE OF A PROPELLER GAUGE THAT WAS PRESENT DURING THE ONSITE INVESTIGATION CONDUCTED ON 5/22/2024. IT IS NOTED THAT THE NTSB OR FAA DID NOT PROVIDE PRIOR APPROVAL FOR REMOVAL OF THIS INSTRUMENT. THE FOLLOWING OBSERVATIONS WERE MADE WITH REGARD TO THE ENGINE’S CONDITION (P&W PT-6): THE ENGINE POWER LEVER WAS NEAR THE MAXIMUM FORWARD NG STOP, THE THROTTLE LEVER WAS DIFFICULT TO MANIPULATE, THE CONDITION LEVER WAS DIFFICULT TO MANIPULATE DUE TO APPARENT SEIZING, PRIMARY AND SECONDARY ENGINE AIR LINES DID NOT APPEAR TO BE COMPROMISED, OIL WAS PRESENT IN THE REDUCTION GEARBOX, AND OIL/FUEL FILTERS EACH APPEARED NORMAL WITH NO OBSTRUCTIONS NOTED. DUE TO OBSERVED PROPELLER AND ENGINE DAMAGE SIGNATURES, THE AIRCRAFT WAS UNDER SOME POWER AT TIME OF ACCIDENT. DURING REVIEW OF PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ADSB DATA, IT WAS NOTED THAT PRECEDING THE ACCIDENT, THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE CRUISING AT OR AROUND 2000 FEET MSL, THEN ABRUPTLY CLIMBED TO APPROXIMATELY 6000 FEET. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED IN AN EASTERLY DIRECTION BEFORE ADSB DATA IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. OSBORNE, KS HAS A PUBLISHED MSL ELEVATION OF 1,549 FEET, AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REPORTED ADSB DATA AND OSBORNE’S ELEVATION IS ESTIMATED AT OR NEAR 500 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. THE AIRCRAFT PILOT PROVIDED A WRITTEN STATEMENT TO THE FAA AND ATTESTED THAT HE WAS MAKING HIS SECOND TURN IN THE FIELD DURING AERIAL APPLICATION WHEN HE NOTICED A LOSS OF POWER IN THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT ALSO STATED THAT ENGINE NG, TORQUE, AND PROPELLER RPM WERE ALL “THROUGH REDLINE,” AND WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO EXTEND FLAPS FOR LANDING, THEY DID NOT EXTEND. AT TIME OF THIS REPORT, THE ENGINE FUEL CONTROL UNIT IS SCHEDULED TO BE FUNCTIONALLY TESTED BY A CERTIFICATED REPAIR. THIS REPORT MAY BE AMENDED WITH ADDITIONAL PERTINATE INFORMATION. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB CEN24LA193](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN24LA193), May 19, 2024: Air Tractor AT-502 (N15189), Covert, KS, substantial damage. Probable cause: The improper maintenance of the fuel control unit, which resulted in air leakage and a loss of control of fuel flow to the engine. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.