# NTSB FTW98LA140: Air Tractor AT-502B, N60762, Lake Village, AR, March 3, 1998 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 3, 1998, 16:45 local (22:45 UTC) - Place: Lake Village, AR - Coordinates: 33.320064, -91.279121 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.3201&lon=-91.2791&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Takeoff](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/300) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 1 minor - Status: Completed, report February 15, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 20547 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=FTW98LA140 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/20547/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA140 ## Probable cause The pilot's use of unsuitable terrain for takeoff. A factor was the rough/uneven terrain. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Nose over, takeoff - roll/run - terrain condition - rough/uneven (contributing factor) - unsuitable terrain or takeoff/landing/taxi area - used, pilot in command (cause) ## Analysis After filling his aerial application aircraft with 350 gallons of liquid fertilizer, the pilot began his takeoff roll. As the airplane's tail lifted off of the ground, the right main landing gear entered a rut, which resulted in the aircraft decelerating and veering to the right into soft ground. Subsequently, the aircraft 'flipped' over onto its back. The pilot stated that he and the landowner drove 'up and down the airstrip stopping several times to test the condition of the strip' prior to his initial landing to the strip. He further stated that '[he] noticed the strip to be a little rough but [he] felt that it was firm enough to work off of.' The pilot reported that during his initial landing he did not notice any problems with the strip. ## Factual narrative On March 3, 1998, at 1645 central standard time, an Air Tractor AT-502B agricultural airplane, N60762, owned and operated by Hensley Flying Service of Eudora, Arkansas, was substantially damaged following a loss of control during takeoff roll near Lake Village, Arkansas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the Title 14 CFR Part 137 aerial application flight. The commercial pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, sustained minor injuries. The flight was originating from an unimproved road approximately 3 miles west of Lake Village, Arkansas. The pilot stated that he and the landowner drove "up and down the airstrip stopping several times to test the condition of the strip" earlier in the day. He further stated that "[he] noticed the strip to be a little rough but [he] felt that it was firm enough to work off of." Later in the day, the pilot landed on the strip at 1615 and did not notice any problems with the strip. Thirty minutes later, after filling his aircraft with 350 gallons of liquid fertilizer, he began his takeoff roll. He relayed that as the tail of the aircraft "got light," the aircraft "rolled into a rut." Subsequently, the aircraft "nosed over" and "flipped." Examination of the wreckage by the FAA inspector revealed that the vertical stabilizer and the left wing tip were damaged. The top of the fuselage in the vicinity of the cockpit was crushed, and the engine was displaced approximately 30 degrees to the right. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N60762](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N60762-2004-04-13), registration cancelled 2004-04-13, S/N 502B-0349, built 1996 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Air Tractor AT-502B - Registry model: [Air Tractor AT-502B](https://openairdocs.org/model/air-tractor-at-502b) (registry code 0390307) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney PT6A series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-pt6a-series) (registry code 52034, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 0349 - Airframe hours: 3832 - Engines: P&W PT6A-34AG 750 horsepower turbo prop - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Aerial application, Part 137 - Registered owner: Hensley Flying Service, LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Restricted (Special) - Last inspection: Annual, January 30, 1998, 53 hours before - Departed: NONE ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 42; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: center; flight hours: 5,800 total, 60 in this make and model, 5,642 as pilot in command, 60 in the last 90 days, 60 in the last 30 days, 8 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 315° at 3 knots, gusting 4 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 70 °F ## 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 19980303002429A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980303002429A), Mar 3, 1998: Airtrc AT502B, Lake Village, AR, Substantial damage. Acft right main gear became stuck in the mud on takeoff and flipped over, Lake Village, AR. (-23) on March 3, 1998, at 4:35 pm CST, an air tractor, AT-502B,… 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.