- Date
- June 7, 2019, 08:40 local (13:40 UTC)
- Place
- Monument, KS
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N60642Air Tractor AT502
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 13, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190607023569A
- Case key
- 99596
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 failure to maintain altitude due to distraction by ground equipment in the airplane’s path, which resulted in his failure to maintain clearance from crops during an agricultural application flight and resulted in a loss of airplane 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, during an agricultural application flight and while the airplane was about 10 ft above ground level, he became distracted by ground equipment in the airplane's path, and he inadvertently allowed the airplane to descend, which resulted in the right main landing gear descending and the right spray boom descending into the wheat crop. The airplane veered right, descended uncontrollably, and impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage, and the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during an agricultural application flight, about 10ft above the ground, he became distracted by ground equipment in the airplane's path, and the airplane's right main landing gear descended into the wheat crop. Subsequently, the right spray boom descended into the wheat crop. The airplane veered right, descended uncontrolled, and collided with the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage, and the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N60642
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT502 (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 502B-0273
- Built
- 1994
- Airframe hours
- 5,529
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney PT6-34AG, 750 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 2, 2018
- Departed
- Monument, KS
- Destination
- Monument, KS
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- 80
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 3, 2008
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 18,674 total · 4,850 in this make and model · 18,473 as pilot in command · 74 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- KCBK, 19 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 22, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.1 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.