- Date
- July 3, 1995, 17:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Belzoni, MS
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N91955Air Tractor AT-502
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 13, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950703016199A
- Case key
- 37795
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
Inadequate compensation for wind conditions by the pilot. The gusty crosswind was a factor.
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
After touchdown with a direct crosswind of 10 knots, a gust of wind caused the airplane to veer off the runway into a ditch. At the time of the loss of directional control the engine RPM was near idle.
Factual narrative
On July 3, 1995, about 1700 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-502, N91955, registered to and operated by Rays Flying Service, experienced a loss of control during the landing roll at a private airstrip near Belzoni, Mississippi, while on a 14 CFR Part 137 aerial application flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the commercial-rated pilot was not injured. The flight originated from the accident airstrip about 1 hour earlier.
The pilot stated that while spraying he observed strong winds associated with a thunderstorm and flew back to the departure airport. After touchdown with a direct crosswind of about 10 knots, a gust of wind caused the airplane to veer off the runway into a ditch. He further stated that the engine rpm was near idle at the time of the loss of directional control.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N91955
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-502
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5020236
- Airframe hours
- 890
- Engine
- P&W PT6, 750 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Rays Flying Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 4, 1995 · 216 hours before
- Departed
- NONE
- Airport
- runway 27, 2,600 × 60 ft, grass/turf
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
- 51
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 16,500 total · 3,000 in this make and model · 16,500 as pilot in command · 175 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GWO, 35 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.