# NTSB CEN21LA322: Air Tractor AT502, N334LA, Edcouch, TX, July 15, 2021

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report
- Date: July 15, 2021, 11:10 local (16:10 UTC)
- Place: Edcouch, TX
- Coordinates: 26.290349, -97.949446 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.2903&lon=-97.9494&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Takeoff](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/300) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: Federal Aviation Administration (San Antonio FSDO)
- NTSB case key (mKey): 103487
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN21LA322
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/103487/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=103487
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA322

## Probable cause

The pilot’s inadequate compensation for a gusting wind during takeoff.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Air Tractor AT-502B, 22 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=0390307), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md)
- [Wind: gusts](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034045): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Response/compensation (probable cause); cases with it: [Air Tractor AT-502B, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034045/cases.md?model=0390307), [All aircraft, 1,199 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034045/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490) (defining event); cases with it: [Air Tractor AT-502B, 8 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490/sequence.md?model=0390307), [All aircraft, 1,309 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The pilot stated that shortly after liftoff a wind gust decreased the airplane’s climb performance, which resulted in the main landing gear contacting a 10 ft tall sugarcane crop off the end of the runway. The airplane continued to descend into the field where it landed hard on the right main landing gear and came to rest in a nose down attitude. The right wing sustained substantial damage during the accident. The pilot did not report any mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation during the flight.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N334LA](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N334LA), registered now, S/N 502B-3187, built 2019 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AIR TRACTOR AT502 (B)
- Registry model: [Air Tractor AT-502B](https://openairdocs.org/model/air-tractor-at-502b) (registry code 0390307) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34AG](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-canada-pt6a-34ag) (registry code 52251, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 502B-3187
- Year built: 2019
- Airframe hours: 1695
- Engines: Pratt-Whitney PT6A-34AG 750 horsepower turbo prop
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Aerial application, Part 137
- Operator: Sun Valley Dusting Company
- Registered owner: Sun Valley Dusting Company
- Airworthiness certificate: Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection: Annual, March 2, 2021
- Airport: 6TE0, Skalitsky Airport, runway 9, 1,900 × 30 ft, asphalt
- Equipment: ADS-B

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 62; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review February 11, 2020; seat: single; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 24,001 total, 15,100 in this make and model, 23,791 as pilot in command, 350 in the last 90 days, 125 in the last 30 days, 6 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 170° at 11 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 88 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observed at: KTXW, 7 nm away
- METAR: METAR KTXW 151555Z AUTO 17011G16KT 10SM SCT023 SCT031 SCT037 31/24 A3007 RMK AO2 T03050236=

## 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 20210715007009A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210715007009A), Jul 15, 2021: Air Tractor Inc AT-502B, Edcouch, TX, Substantial damage. July 15, 2021 at 1110 CDT, an Air tractor 502B, was unable to climb while in ground effect. The aircraft began to encounter the sugar cane off the departure…

## Docket (4 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 4, 2021, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=103487. 3.1 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 1.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12833659&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=01%20-%20Pilot%20Report_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Pilot statement (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 1.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12833753&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=02%20-%20Pilot%20Statement_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Memorandum of conversation (gerald s freeman) (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 76 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12833669&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=03%20-%20Memorandum%20of%20Conversation%20(Gerald%20S%20Freeman)-Rel.pdf
- Photo (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 1 photo, 358 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12833765&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=04%20-%20Photo-Rel.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.