- Date
- October 13, 1989, 13:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Heafer, AR
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N1012ZAir Tractor AT-502
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 24, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891013045049A
- Case key
- 34906
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 intentional swerve by the pilot during the takeoff roll. Contributing to the accident was the rough and soft terrain conditions.
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
During the takeoff roll for an aerial seeding operation, the plt said he veered in order to avoid a dip in the rough, narrow runway. The left main gear sank into the soft bordering terrain, causing the aircraft to spin around and flip inverted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1012Z
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-502
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 502-0044
- Airframe hours
- 669
- Engine
- P&W PT6A-15G, 680 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Nelles Air Service
- Registered owner
- Nelles Air Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- NONE · Heafer, AR
- Airport
- NONE · Heafer Pvt, runway 18, 2,640 × 20 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
- 25
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,600 total · 10 in this make and model · 2,600 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.