- Date
- July 10, 2018, 16:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- De Land, IL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4509SAir Tractor AT 502
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 18, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180710004029A
- Case key
- 97745
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 unsuitable terrain for landing in crosswind conditions, which resulted in the airplane inadvertently becoming airborne and a subsequent hard landing and loss of directional control.
Findings · 5
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, after an agricultural application flight, during the landing roll in a rain shower and with a crosswind, the tailwheel-equipped airplane hit a "bump" and became airborne. He added that the airplane was slow, drifted left, and touched down hard. Subsequently, the airplane exited the runway and ground looped. The pilot reported that he should have landed farther down the runway to avoid the bumps that caused the airplane to become airborne. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, and left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. An automated weather observation system located about 19 nautical miles from the accident site reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 260° at 12 knots. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 18.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, after an aerial application flight, during the landing roll in a rain shower and with a crosswind, the tailwheel-equipped airplane hit a "bump" and became airborne. He added that the airplane was slow, drifted left, and touched down hard. Subsequently, the airplane exited the runway and ground looped. The pilot added that, he should have possibly landed further down the runway to avoid the bumps that sent him back into the air. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage and left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. An automated weather observation system located about 19 nautical miles from the accident site reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 260° at 12 knots. The pilot landed on runway 18.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4509S
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT 502 (Undesignat)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 502-0088
- Built
- 1990
- Airframe hours
- 8,101
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A, 750 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Olsem Aerial Application Services Llc
- Registered owner
- Olsem Aerial Application Services Llc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 25, 2018
- Departed
- IL80 · De Land, IL
- Destination
- IL80 · De Land, IL
- Airport
- IL80 · Flying Illini, runway 18, 3,430 × 100 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 10, 2017
- Seat
- Center
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 2,135 total · 454 in this make and model · 2,091 as pilot in command · 170 in the last 90 days · 80 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- KDEC, 19 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 29, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.5 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.