- Date
- August 27, 1997, 17:20 local (22:20 UTC)
- Place
- Pineland, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9197FAir Tractor AT-802A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 26, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970827024249A
- Case key
- 20330
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
failure of the right main wheel brake, during the landing roll. A factor relating to the accident was: the pilot's failure (or inability) to maintain directional control of the airplane, after loss of right braking action.
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
According to the pilot, he departed Pineland with a load of chemicals, but could not locate the assigned field. He returned to the airport with his full load and was landing on runway 35. The pilot reported that when he 'attempted to stop the airplane by using Beta, the right brake failed and the engine torque pulled the airplane to the left into a ground loop.' During the ground loop, the right main gear folded under the fuselage and bent the right wing at the mid-point.
Factual narrative
On August 27, 1997, approximately 1720 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-802A, N9197F, was substantially damaged during landing roll at the Pineland Municipal Airport, near Pineland, Texas. The commercial pilot, sole occupant in the airplane, was not injured. The airplane was operated by Aero Tech, Inc., under Title 14 CFR Part 137. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local aerial application flight which originated approximately 30 minutes before the accident. No flight plan was filed.
According to the pilot, he departed Pineland with a load of chemical but could not locate the assigned field. He returned to the airport with his full load and was landing on runway 35. The pilot reported that when he "attempted to stop the airplane by using Beta, the right brake failed and the engine torque pulled the airplane to the left into a ground loop." The ground loop folded the right main gear under the fuselage and bent the right wing at the mid-point.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9197F
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-802A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 802A-0009
- Engine
- P&W PT6A-67R, 1,350 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Mark E. Lane
- Registered owner
- Aero Tech Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- T24
- Airport
- T24 · Pineland Muni, runway 35, 3,700 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 11,595 total · 4,000 in this make and model · 10,471 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LFK, 40 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.
Other investigations on N9197F · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.