# NTSB CEN21LA357: Air Tractor AT-602, N455LA, Mer Rouge, LA, August 4, 2021 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: August 4, 2021, 15:20 local (20:20 UTC) - Place: Mer Rouge, LA - Coordinates: 32.773145, -91.783934 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.7731&lon=-91.7839&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Takeoff](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/300) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Takeoff: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 1 minor - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA - NTSB case key (mKey): 103634 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN21LA357 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/103634/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=103634 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA357 ## Probable cause The total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot and ground personnel’s miscalculation of available fuel. ## 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 · Not serviced/maintained (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) - [Planning/preparation: fuel planning](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Air Tractor AT-602, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md?model=0390309), [All aircraft, 719 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md) - [Planning/preparation: fuel planning](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030): Personnel issues › Task performance · Ground crew (probable cause); cases with it: [Air Tractor AT-602, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md?model=0390309), [All aircraft, 719 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Takeoff: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Air Tractor AT-602, 11 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=0390309), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Landing: 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 accident occurred on the third aerial application flight of the day. Ground support personnel stated they loaded the airplane with about 480 gallons of insecticide and fertilizer, and about 60 gallons of Jet A-1 fuel, which increased the total fuel load to about 160 gallons prior to takeoff. Shortly after rotation, the airplane engine lost power. The pilot conducted a forced landing to a field. During the forced landing, the airplane impacted a soybean field and came to rest upright. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. Postaccident examination of the airplane’s intact fuel system and the accident site found no evidence of fuel. The investigation revealed that the ground personnel and the pilot thought the airplane contained about 160 gallons of fuel prior to takeoff; however, based on the available evidence, it is likely the airplane did not contain fuel, and the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion. ## Factual narrative On August 4, 2021, about 1520 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-602, N455LA, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Mer Rouge, Louisiana. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight. The pilot reported the accident occurred on the third aerial application flight of the day. Ground support personnel loaded the airplane with about 480 gallons of insecticide and fertilizer, and about 60 gallons of Jet A-1 fuel, which increased the total fuel load to about 160 gallons prior to takeoff. Shortly after rotation, the airplane engine lost power. The pilot conducted a forced landing to a field. During the forced landing, the airplane impacted a soybean field and came to rest upright. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and wings (see figure 1.) Figure 1. Accident Airplane (Source: law enforcement) According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the airplane’s fuel system was intact, and the wing fuel tanks did not appear to contain any fuel. No evidence of fuel was found at the accident site. In addition, the operator did not have a recordkeeping system of fuel distribution at the refueling location. According to the airplane recovery personnel, the chemical hopper had contained a puncture hole that leaked into one of the fuel tanks. During the recovery process, about 7 to 8 gallons of a fuel/chemical mixture was drained from the fuel tanks. There was no evidence of about 160 gallons of fuel at the accident site or in the airplane fuel tanks. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N455LA](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N455LA-2024-08-11), registration cancelled 2024-08-11, S/N 602-1311, built 2020 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AIR TRACTOR INC AT-602 - Registry model: [Air Tractor AT-602](https://openairdocs.org/model/air-tractor-at-602) (registry code 0390309) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65AG](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-canada-pt6a-65ag) (registry code 52109, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 602-1311 - Year built: 2020 - Airframe hours: 1200 - Engines: Pratt & Whitney PT-6A-65AG 1350 horsepower turbo prop - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Aerial application, Part 137 - Registered owner: Wilmot Airplane Ventures LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Restricted (Special) - Last inspection: 100 hour, July 7, 2021 - Equipment: None ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 37; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, without waivers/limitations; seat: single; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 10,000 total, 7,500 in this make and model, 1,000 as pilot in command, 350 in the last 90 days, 150 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 60° at 8 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 90 °F, dew point 66 °F - Altimeter: 30.02 inHg - Observed at: KMLU, 20 nm away - METAR: KMLU 042053Z 06008KT 10SM CLR 32/19 A3002 RMK AO2 SLP165 T03170194 58011 ## 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 20210804011539A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210804011539A), Aug 4, 2021: Air Tractor Inc AT-602, Mer Rouge, LA, Destroyed. - On 8/4/2021, N455LA, an airtractor, model AT-602 with serial number 602-1311 was involved in a non-fatal accident. - The pilot in command was [privacy data… ## Docket (5 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 4, 2023, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=103634. 6.1 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 5.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12850816&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120%20Pilot_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Record of conversation FAA inspector (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 211 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12850965&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ROC%20Shamblin-Rel.pdf - Record of conversation - ground support personnel (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 148 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14904625&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ROC%20Ground%20Support%20Wagner-Rel.pdf - Record of conversation southern aircraft recovery (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 158 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12851453&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ROC%20TW%20Cook-Rel.pdf - Photo array (item 5, PDF, 1 page, 426 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12851040&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Array-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.