Accident Air Tractor AT-502B VH-KDR,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 283532
 
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Date:Monday 19 September 2022
Time:c. 12:20 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic AT5T model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Air Tractor AT-502B
Owner/operator:Smart Air Services Pty Ltd
Registration: VH-KDR
MSN: 502B-0361
Year of manufacture:1996
Fatalities:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:W of Canaga, QLD -   Australia
Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:Agricultural
Departure airport:Walugra Airstrip, QLD
Destination airport:Walugra Airstrip, QLD
Investigating agency: ATSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The pilot of an Air Tractor AT-502B aircraft was completing aerial spray operations near Chinchilla, Queensland when it crashed, fatally injuring the pilot.
While the pilot was conducting a spray run parallel to the paddock fence line at about 8 ft above the ground, a large bird (Australian bustard) struck the right Perspex windshield. During the impact, the right windshield was shattered, with the bird carcass found inside the aircraft.
The site examination showed that, after the birdstrike, the aircraft continued flying for a further 310 m, or about 5 seconds before it collided with terrain.


Contributing factor
- During aerial spraying operations at low-level, a large bird (Australian bustard) struck the right windshield of the aircraft and entered the cockpit. This likely affected the pilot’s ability to control the aircraft, resulting in a collision with terrain.



Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: ATSB
Report number: AO-2022-043
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 9 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

https://www.dailyadvertiser.com.au/story/7908955/pilot-dies-in-qld-crop-dusting-plane-crash/?cs=9444
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-19/qld-pilot-dead-in-plane-crash-near-chinchilla/101453920

https://www.regosearch.com/aircraft/au/KDR

https://cdn.jetphotos.com/full/2/18625_1191478215.jpg (photo)

History of this aircraft

Ex N6074A

Media:

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
19-Sep-2022 08:04 gerard57 Added
19-Sep-2022 08:41 Aerossurance Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Embed code, Narrative]
19-Sep-2022 08:43 Aerossurance Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Source, Embed code]
19-Sep-2022 10:46 RobertMB Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Source, Narrative]
19-Sep-2022 11:46 Aerossurance Updated [Time, Operator, Narrative]
28-Jun-2023 06:29 harro Updated [[Time, Operator, Narrative]]

Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description

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