- Date
- February 22, 2020, 15:20 local (21:20 UTC)
- Place
- Bunkie, LA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N602BKAir Tractor AT 602
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 27, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20200222004339A
- Case key
- 101008
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 lock the tailwheel before landing, which resulted in his loss of directional control during the landing roll, a runway excursion onto soft ground, and a subsequent ground loop.
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 reported that he was performing a straight-in approach and landing. The airplane touched down on the runway centerline, and it was under control. After the tailwheel settled onto the runway, the pilot applied the brakes and retarded the engine power to the beta range. Shortly after, the airplane began to swerve left. The pilot's efforts to maintain directional control were unsuccessful, and the airplane departed the left side of the runway, encountered soft ground, and ground looped. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, right wing, and vertical stabilizer. The pilot noted that he did not ensure that the tailwheel lock was engaged before landing.
Factual narrative
The pilot was performing a straight in approach and landing. The airplane touched down on the runway centerline and under control. After the tailwheel settled onto the runway, the pilot applied the brakes and retarded the engine power into the beta range. Shortly afterward, the airplane began to swerve to the left. The pilot's efforts to maintain directional control were unsuccessful and the airplane departed the left side of the runway. The momentum of the airplane resulted in a "classic ground loop" as it encountered the soft ground adjacent to the runway and then contacted a crop of sugar cane. The airplane sustained damage to the fuselage, right wing and vertical stabilizer. The pilot noted that the "mishap was most likely preventable" because he did not ensure that the tailwheel lock was engaged before landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N602BK
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT 602 (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 602-1128
- Built
- 2005
- Airframe hours
- 8,966.6
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A-60AG, 1,050 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Bunkie Flying Service Inc
- Registered owner
- Bunkie Flying Service Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 22, 2020
- Departed
- Iota, LA
- Destination
- 2LA4 · Bunkie, LA
- Airport
- 2LA4 · Bunkie Flying Service, runway 35, 5,000 × 100 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 16, 2019
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 16,964 total · 505 in this make and model · 15,479 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.37 inHg
- Observed at
- KOPL, 23 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 30, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.3 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.