# NTSB CEN19LA244: Air Tractor AT 602, N50634, Walls, MS, July 24, 2019 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: July 24, 2019, 11:05 local (16:05 UTC) - Place: Walls, MS - Coordinates: 34.9575, -90.151664 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.9575&lon=-90.1517&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Initial climb: Fuel contamination](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/193) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA Jackson, Mississippi FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 99952 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN19LA244 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/99952/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=99952 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN19LA244 ## Probable cause The improper fuel servicing of the airplane, which resulted in water contamination of the airplane's fuel supply and a subsequent loss of engine power. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid condition (probable cause); cases with it: [Air Tractor AT-602, 8 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=0390309), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) - [Aircraft](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01010000): Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service · Incorrect service/maintenance (probable cause); cases with it: [Air Tractor AT-602, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01010000/cases.md?model=0390309), [All aircraft, 21 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01010000/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Prior to flight: Aircraft servicing event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/020); cases with it: [Air Tractor AT-602, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/020/sequence.md?model=0390309), [All aircraft, 70 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/020/sequence.md) - [Initial climb: Fuel contamination](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/193) (defining event); cases with it: [Air Tractor AT-602, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/193/sequence.md?model=0390309), [All aircraft, 225 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/193/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Air Tractor AT-602, 37 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=0390309), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot reported that he had been conducting an aerial application flight for a few hours and returned to the airport to reload. While one loader was loading, another loader used a forklift to tilt the fuel tank so that fuel would flow toward the suction hose on the tank. The airplane was fueled with about 100 gallons of fuel. Once loading was complete, the pilot departed. He reported that the takeoff was normal until about 1/4 mile past the end of the airstrip; the airplane then lost engine power, which resulted a forced landing and substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. He reported that the airplane had been functioning normally up until that time. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed a large quantity of water contamination in the fuel system components. No other preimpact anomalies were detected. Based on the available evidence, it is likely that ground personnel’s use of the forklift to tilt the fuel tank allowed water that had settled in the bottom of the tank to be drawn into the suction hose, thereby contaminating the fuel being delivered to the airplane. The resulting contamination of the airplane's fuel supply was significant enough to result in the loss of engine power. ## Factual narrative On July 24, 2019, about 1105 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-602 airplane, N50634, impacted terrain during a forced landing near Walls, Mississippi. The pilot was not injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage.The fuselage and right wing. The aircraft was registered to and operated by Delta Dusters II LLC. under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 as an aerial application flight. The pilot reported that he had been applying fungicide for a few hours and came back to the airport for another load. While one loader was loading, another loader was using a forklift to tilt the fuel tank so that fuel would flow toward the suction hose on the tank. The airplane was fueled with about 100 gallons of fuel. Once loading was complete, the pilot departed. He reported that the takeoff was normal until about ¼ mile past the end of the airstrip when there was a loss of engine power which resulted in the forced landing. He reported that the airplane had been functioning normally up until that time. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. A large quantity of water contamination in the fuel system components was documented. No other preimpact anomalies were detected. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N50634](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N50634-2020-10-03), registration cancelled 2020-10-03, S/N 602-0481, built 1998 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Air Tractor AT 602 (No Series) - Registry model: [Air Tractor AT-602](https://openairdocs.org/model/air-tractor-at-602) (registry code 0390309) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-66 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-canada-pt6a-66-series) (registry code 52118, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 602-0481 - Year built: 1998 - Engines: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-60AG 1050 horsepower turbo prop - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Aerial application, Part 137 - Operator: Delta Dusters II Llc - Registered owner: Delta Dusters II Llc - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Restricted (Special) - Departed: PVT, Walls, MS - Destination: PVT, Walls, MS - Airport: PVT, Private strip ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 69; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; medical: class 2, without waivers/limitations; seat: single ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 50° at 6 knots - Visibility: 9 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 81 °F, dew point 64 °F - Altimeter: 30.13 inHg - Observed at: AWM, 14 nm away ## 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 20190724012529A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20190724012529A), Jul 24, 2019: Air Tractor Inc AT-602, Walls, MS, Substantial damage. On July 24, 2019, Air tractor N50634 was performing aerial application services in Walls, Mississippi. After several hours of providing aerial services in the… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 15, 2020, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=99952. 741 KB in all. - Pilot's Statement (item 1, .PDF, 321 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40482483&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%27s%20Statement-Master.PDF - Photo Array (item 2, .PDF, 420 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40482484&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%20Array-Master.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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.