- Date
- October 11, 2007, 15:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Columbia, LA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8521LAir Tractor AT-602
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- FAA report
- 20071011826489A
- Case key
- 66887
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 selection of an unsuitable landing area. Contributing factors were the tall vegetation on the sides of the airstrip and the short and confined landing area.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The 2,670-hour commercial pilot lost control of the turbine-powered aerial application airplane while landing on a remote dirt airstrip to replenish the hopper. The pilot reported that while flaring the airplane during a 3-point landing, the upwind wing (low wing) became entangled in the tall vegetation surrounding the airstrip resulting in a loss of directional control. The airplane "cart-wheeled" and came to rest in the upright position. The pilot was able to exit the airplane unassisted. The airplane's aft fuselage sustained structural damage. When asked how this accident could have been prevented, the pilot responded that a better choice of airstrip could have been made to prevent the mishap.
Factual narrative
The 2,670-hour commercial pilot lost control of the turbine-powered aerial application airplane while landing on a remote dirt airstrip to replenish the hopper. The pilot reported that while flaring the airplane during a 3-point landing, the upwind wing (low wing) became entangled in the tall vegetation surrounding the airstrip resulting in a loss of directional control. The airplane "cart-wheeled" and came to rest in the upright position. The pilot was able to exit the airplane unassisted. The airplane's aft fuselage sustained structural damage. When asked how this accident could have been prevented, the pilot responded that a better choice of airstrip could have been made to prevent the mishap.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8521L
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-602
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 602-0703
- Airframe hours
- 1,619
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A-60AG, 1,050 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Hog Air Aviation
- Registered owner
- Brent Carpenter/Hog Air Aviation Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 1, 2007
- Departed
- Columbian, LA
- Destination
- Columbian, LA
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
- 35
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 1, 2007
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 2,670 total · 1,676 in this make and model · 2,614 as pilot in command · 600 in the last 90 days · 456 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N8521L · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.