- Date
- April 12, 2006, 14:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Stanfield, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1539XAir Tractor 502A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 29, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20060412006059A
- Case key
- 63510
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 inadequate compensation for the wind conditions and failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll.
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
A single engine aerial application aircraft modified as a fire tanker veered off the gravel runway during its landing roll and sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot said he was traveling about 40 mph with the tail on the ground during the landing roll and was unable to maintain directional control due to adverse wind conditions. The airplane veered off the left side of the runway despite the pilot's application of full right rudder and right brake, and encountered uneven terrain and high vegetation. The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions.
Factual narrative
A single engine aerial application aircraft modified as a fire tanker veered off the gravel runway during its landing roll and sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot, the sole occupant, said he was traveling about 40 mph with the tail on the ground during the landing roll and was unable to maintain directional control due to adverse wind conditions. The airplane veered off the left side of the runway despite the pilot's application of full right rudder and right brake, and encountered uneven terrain and high vegetation. The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1539X
- Reported as
- Air Tractor 502A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 502A0166
- Airframe hours
- 4,029
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A-45R, 1,100 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- M And M Air Service Of Beaumont Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 1, 2006 · 18 hours before
- Departed
- Stanfield, AZ
- Destination
- Stanfield, AZ
- Airport
- NONE · Custom Farm Service, runway 24, 3,000 × 60 ft, gravel
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
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 23,000 total · 10 in this make and model · 22,000 as pilot in command · 200 in the last 90 days · 200 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.