- Date
- July 10, 2009, 12:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Reydell, AR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N60023Air Tractor AT-502B
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 19, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090710011849A
- Case key
- 74252
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 inability to maintain control of the airplane when it unexpectedly encountered a whirlwind shortly after takeoff.
Findings · 2
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 took off from a private strip on an aerial application flight. While climbing away from the runway the airplane began a left turning tendency. The pilot suspected the airplane encountered a whirlwind and attempted to maintain control of the airplane. When the airplane entered a "dead air space" the airplane was approximately 5 to 10 feet above the ground. The airplane subsequently collided with terrain and came to a stop in the upright position. Substantial damage was sustained to both wings. An inspection of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any pre-impact anomalies.
Factual narrative
The pilot took off from a private strip on an aerial application flight. While climbing away from the runway the airplane began a left turning tendency. The pilot suspected the airplane encountered a whirlwind and attempted to maintain control of the airplane. When the airplane entered a "dead air space" the airplane was approximately 5 to 10 feet above the ground. The airplane subsequently collided with terrain and came to a stop in the upright position. Substantial damage was sustained to both wings. An inspection of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any pre-impact anomalies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N60023
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-502B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 502B-0315
- Airframe hours
- 5,925
- Engine
- P&W PT6A SERIES, 500 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Bear Bayou Ag Service
- Registered owner
- Bear Bayou Ag Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 1, 2009
- Departed
- Reydell, AR
- Destination
- Reydell, 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
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 1, 2009
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 9,500 total · 3,500 in this make and model · 9,400 as pilot in command · 300 in the last 90 days · 150 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- KPBF, 22 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 27, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 667 KB 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.