- Date
- April 13, 2011, 13:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Telephone, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N503ADAir Tractor AT503
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 30, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Dallas FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110413006719A
- Case key
- 78875
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 adequate airspeed which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
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 reported that he was maneuvering the airplane at a low altitude on an agricultural application flight when the left wing stalled, the nose dropped, and the airplane descended to the ground. The airplane impacted trees and terrain, and came to rest upright about 450 feet from the initial impact location. There was substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, tail surfaces and all control surfaces. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported he was maneuvering at low altitude on an agricultural application flight when the left wing stalled, the nose dropped, and the airplane descended out of control. The airplane then impacted trees and terrain, and came to rest upright about 450 feet from the initial impact location. There was substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, tail surfaces and all control surfaces. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N503AD
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT503 (A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 503A-017
- Engine
- Pratt And Whitney PT6A, 750 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- McCRAW MATERIALS LLC
- Registered owner
- Divlend Equipment Leasing LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- Telephone, TX
- Destination
- Telephone, TX
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
- 52
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 9, 2010
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 987 total · 176 in this make and model · 8 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 14 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- KDUA, 21 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 29, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 580 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.