# NTSB ANC20LA069: Air Tractor AT802, N80166, Birch Creek, AK, July 14, 2020

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report
- Date: July 14, 2020, 15:55 local (23:55 UTC)
- Place: Birch Creek, AK
- Coordinates: 65.991028, -144.54469 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=65.9910&lon=-144.5447&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office
- Parties: Fireboss LLC/Wipaire, Inc., Air Tractor, Inc., Bureau of Land Management, Dauntless Air, Wipaire, Inc., Office of Aviation Services
- NTSB case key (mKey): 101615
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC20LA069
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/101615/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101615
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC20LA069

## Probable cause

A loss of control for undetermined reasons while on the surface of the water during scoop operations in support of wildland firefighting operations.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Performance/control parameters: directional control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Air Tractor AT-802A, 10 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md?model=0390308), [All aircraft, 3,958 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md)
- [Not determined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000): Not determined › Not determined · Unknown/Not determined (probable cause); cases with it: [Air Tractor AT-802A, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md?model=0390308), [All aircraft, 2,247 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230) (defining event); cases with it: [Air Tractor AT-802A, 9 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md?model=0390308), [All aircraft, 4,585 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The mission-specific modified airplane was used to support wildland firefighting operations. It was equipped with amphibious floats that routed water through a dual scoop system to a hopper located in the airplane. The scoops could be manually deployed by a switch located on the control stick. According to the pilot, on the 28th scoop of the day, he touched down on the surface of the water and deployed the scoops to begin filling the airplane’s hopper when the airplane veered to the right. In an effort to correct for the veer, he released the scoop switch and applied left rudder to no avail. He retarded the throttle and applied reverse thrust as the airplane began to impact trees located on the lake’s shoreline. The airplane came to rest upright in a marshy area on the lake’s shoreline sustaining substantial damage to the right wing. A series of detailed examinations of the airplane, including its water scoop system, revealed no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operations.

## Factual narrative

On July 14, 2020, about 1555 Alaska daylight time, an Air Tractor AT802A airplane, N80166, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Birch Creek, Alaska. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 firefighting flight. The mission-specific modified airplane was used to support wildland firefighting operations. The airplane was equipped with Wipline 10000 amphibious floats. Scoops/probes could be manually deployed by a switch located on the control stick of the airplane that actuated an electrically driven hydraulic pump; when the switch was released the scoops would retract. Water was routed through the scoops located on each float to a hopper located in the aircraft. In addition, the airplane was equipped with an asymmetric scoop warning system. In the event of an asymmetric scoop deployment, an audible warning “scoop malfunction” would sound, and a red warning light would illuminate on the instrument panel. According to the pilot, on the 28th scoop of the day, he touched down on the surface of the water and deployed the scoops to begin filling the airplane’s hopper when the airplane veered to the right. In an effort to correct for the veer he released the scoop switch and applied left rudder to no avail. He retarded the throttle and applied reverse thrust as the airplane began to impact trees located on the lake’s shoreline. The airplane came to rest upright in a marshy area on the lake’s shoreline sustaining substantial damage to the right wing. A series of postaccident examinations of the airplane including its fuel system, flight control system and water scoop system revealed no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operations. Control continuity was established for all flight and engine controls.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N80166](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N80166), registered now, S/N 802A-0685, built 2017 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: Air Tractor AT802 (A)
- Registry model: [Air Tractor AT-802A](https://openairdocs.org/model/air-tractor-at-802a) (registry code 0390308) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67F](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-canada-pt6a-67f) (registry code 52290, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 802A-0685
- Year built: 2017
- Airframe hours: 349.5
- Engines: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67F turbo prop
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Firefighting, Part 137
- Operator: Aero Spray Inc
- Registered owner: Aero Spray Inc
- Airworthiness certificate: Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection: 100 hour, June 16, 2020
- Departed: PAFB, Fairbanks, AK
- Destination: PAFB, Fairbanks, AK
- Flight plan: Company VFR
- Equipment: Satellite tracking device, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Data recorder, Handheld GPS, Onboard weather

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 50; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, without waivers/limitations; last flight review March 1, 2020; seat: single; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 11,000 total, 2,000 in this make and model, 10,700 as pilot in command, 35 in the last 90 days, 30 in the last 30 days

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 290° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 72 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20200714016669A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200714016669A), Jul 14, 2020: Air Tractor Inc AT-802A, Ft.Yukon, AK, Substantial damage. The pilot, who is also a mechanic with inspection authorization, conducted 27 previous landings in the same location with no incident. After landing on the…

## Docket (12 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 16, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101615. 15.3 MB in all.

- Engine monitoring device - specialist's factual report (item 1, PDF, 7 pages, 827 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12967395&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=anc20la069%20reportfinal2-Rel.pdf
- Attachment 1 - engine monitoring device - specialist's factual report (item 2, CSV, 1.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12695108&FileExtension=csv&FileName=Attachment1_finalfordocket-Rel.csv
- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 3, PDF, 9 pages, 3.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11853072&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=DMS%206120_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Pilot statement (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 134 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13417408&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=FB-210%20Inc%20Report%20(1)-Rel.pdf
- GPS device - email report (item 5, PDF, 1 page, 39 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12695457&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ANC20LA069%20-%20(Birch%20Creek%20,AK)%20-%20GPS%20Device%20-%20Email%20Report-Rel.pdf
- Air tractor AT-802A flight manual supplement excerpt (item 6, PDF, 14 pages, 1.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13305538&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=POH%20Supplement%20Excerpt-Rel.pdf
- Memorandum for record - on-scene examination (item 7, PDF, 2 pages, 210 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12939942&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Examination%20Memo%20-%20On-scene-Rel.pdf
- Memorandum for record - scoop cycle testing (item 8, PDF, 8 pages, 759 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12939779&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Examination%20Scoop%20Cycle%20Testing-Rel.pdf
- Memorandum for record - fuel tank inspection (item 9, PDF, 1 page, 150 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12939991&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Examination%20Memo%20-%20Fuel%20Tanks-Rel.pdf
- Statement of party representatives to NTSB investigation (item 10, PDF, 8 pages, 6.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11852499&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Party%20Forms_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Release of aircraft wreckage, NTSB form 6120.15 (item 11, PDF, 2 pages, 139 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12940061&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Wreckage%20Release%20Form%20N80166%20-%20Engine,%20Propeller,%20Airframe%20and%20Floats_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Photos (item 12, PDF, 2 pages, 547 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12940172&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Array%20ANC20LA069-Rel.pdf

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.

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