What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 07/11/2024, at approximately 1407 CDT, privacy data omitted Air tractor-802A (802) agriculture airplane was involved in a midair accident with privacy data omitted Air tractor-502B (502) in which the pilot (sole occupant) of 502 was fatally injured. Both aircraft were conducting 14 CFR 137 operations and were enroute to apply their last loads of the day when the accident occurred.
802 Took off from privacy data omitted runway (5LS6) and headed east to apply agricultural fertilizer. Shortly after takeoff, pilot stated that they saw 502 Flying southwest from privacy data omitted at around the same altitude and in extremely close proximity. According to a witness, both aircraft pulled up immediately to avoid each other when the collision occurred.
Investigation revealed, 802’S right hand main tire made contact with 502’S left hand wing, sheering a large portion of the wingtip which departed from 502 and fell into a wooded area below. The wing tip was recovered at approximately 258 yards northeast from the crash site. 802 also made contact with 502’S vertical stabilizer which removed 802’S tail wheel assembly and was recovered in a nearby rice field approximately 507 yards northeast of the crash site and 268 yards east from 502’S left hand wing section.
502 Initially impacted on the north side of dummie line rd in Bonita Louisiana and broke apart across the dirt road. Leaving the propeller, engine, main landing gear, and surrounding airframe scattered across the road heading south. The wings, cockpit, and fuselage continued to the other side of the road into a canal where the wings separated from the cockpit and fuselage to rest in the water. The fuselage and cockpit continued to roll up the south embankment of the canal and came to rest upside down with the tail section facing to the south.
802’S pilot stated that they saw a fireball emanate from the crash site and continued on 12 miles to the east to distribute fertilizer for the crop site. Once pilot distributed the load, flew back to privacy data omitted. 802 landed safely for inspection and replacement of tail wheel assembly. Certified airworthy by mechanic prior to inspectors on scene.
As the FAA filed it
ON 07/11/2024, AT APPROXIMATELY 1407 CDT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AIR TRACTOR-802A (802) AGRICULTURE AIRPLANE WAS INVOLVED IN A MIDAIR ACCIDENT WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AIR TRACTOR-502B (502) IN WHICH THE PILOT (SOLE OCCUPANT) OF 502 WAS FATALLY INJURED. BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE CONDUCTING 14 CFR 137 OPERATIONS AND WERE ENROUTE TO APPLY THEIR LAST LOADS OF THE DAY WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED.
802 TOOK OFF FROM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ RUNWAY (5LS6) AND HEADED EAST TO APPLY AGRICULTURAL FERTILIZER. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, PILOT STATED THAT THEY SAW 502 FLYING SOUTHWEST FROM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AT AROUND THE SAME ALTITUDE AND IN EXTREMELY CLOSE PROXIMITY. ACCORDING TO A WITNESS, BOTH AIRCRAFT PULLED UP IMMEDIATELY TO AVOID EACH OTHER WHEN THE COLLISION OCCURRED.
INVESTIGATION REVEALED, 802’S RIGHT HAND MAIN TIRE MADE CONTACT WITH 502’S LEFT HAND WING, SHEERING A LARGE PORTION OF THE WINGTIP WHICH DEPARTED FROM 502 AND FELL INTO A WOODED AREA BELOW. THE WING TIP WAS RECOVERED AT APPROXIMATELY 258 YARDS NORTHEAST FROM THE CRASH SITE. 802 ALSO MADE CONTACT WITH 502’S VERTICAL STABILIZER WHICH REMOVED 802’S TAIL WHEEL ASSEMBLY AND WAS RECOVERED IN A NEARBY RICE FIELD APPROXIMATELY 507 YARDS NORTHEAST OF THE CRASH SITE AND 268 YARDS EAST FROM 502’S LEFT HAND WING SECTION.
502 INITIALLY IMPACTED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF DUMMIE LINE RD IN BONITA LOUISIANA AND BROKE APART ACROSS THE DIRT ROAD. LEAVING THE PROPELLER, ENGINE, MAIN LANDING GEAR, AND SURROUNDING AIRFRAME SCATTERED ACROSS THE ROAD HEADING SOUTH. THE WINGS, COCKPIT, AND FUSELAGE CONTINUED TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD INTO A CANAL WHERE THE WINGS SEPARATED FROM THE COCKPIT AND FUSELAGE TO REST IN THE WATER. THE FUSELAGE AND COCKPIT CONTINUED TO ROLL UP THE SOUTH EMBANKMENT OF THE CANAL AND CAME TO REST UPSIDE DOWN WITH THE TAIL SECTION FACING TO THE SOUTH.
802’S PILOT STATED THAT THEY SAW A FIREBALL EMANATE FROM THE CRASH SITE AND CONTINUED ON 12 MILES TO THE EAST TO DISTRIBUTE FERTILIZER FOR THE CROP SITE. ONCE PILOT DISTRIBUTED THE LOAD, FLEW BACK TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. 802 LANDED SAFELY FOR INSPECTION AND REPLACEMENT OF TAIL WHEEL ASSEMBLY. CERTIFIED AIRWORTHY BY MECHANIC PRIOR TO INSPECTORS ON SCENE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other aircraft in the event · 1
Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.