- Date
- June 12, 2009, 16:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Trumann, AR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N50956Air Tractor AT-402A
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 10, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20090612008619A
- Case key
- 74058
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control in flight. Contributing to the accident was his decision to fly with known hazardous weather conditions in the vicinity.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot had just begun crop dusting when a gust of wind forced him into the ground from a height of approximately one hundred and fifty feet. The airplane struck the ground in a left-wing-low and nose-down attitude. The left side of the aircraft impacted a tree, resulting in substantial damage. The pilot said that he was aware of a nearby thunderstorm but did not believe it would affect his flight. Upon exiting the aircraft the pilot estimated the wind to be approximately thirty miles per hour. It began to rain twenty minutes after the accident. No preflight briefing was received. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
The pilot had just begun crop dusting when a gust of wind forced him into the ground from a height of approximately one hundred and fifty feet. The airplane struck the ground in a left wing low and nose down attitude. The left side of the aircraft impacted a tree, resulting in substantial damage. The pilot said he was aware of a nearby thunderstorm but did not believe it would affect his flight. Upon exiting the aircraft the pilot estimated the wind to be approximately thirty miles per hour. It began to rain twenty minutes after the accident. No preflight briefing was received. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N50956
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-402A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 402A-1076
- Airframe hours
- 3,608
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A-11AG, 550 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- 5G's Aviation LLC
- Registered owner
- 5G's Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 4, 2009
- Departed
- NONE · Trumann, AR
- Destination
- NONE · Trumann, AR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 17, 2009
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 2,334 total · 808 in this make and model · 1,957 as pilot in command · 127 in the last 90 days · 45 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 5 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.84 inHg
- Observed at
- JBR, 12 nm away
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 22, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.