ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 200551
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Tuesday 24 October 2017 |
| Time: | 08:20 |
| Type: |  Air Tractor AT-502B |
| Owner/operator: | King Ag Aviation Inc |
| Registration: | N502G |
| MSN: | 502B-0591 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1999 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 7917 hours |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Lamb County west of Olton, TX -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Agricultural |
| Departure airport: | Sudan, TX (XA05) |
| Sudan, TX (XA05) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The commercial pilot was conducting agricultural spray operations. He turned the airplane around for a spray pass and turned left to the west about 300 ft above ground level. During the left turn, the airplane descended and impacted the ground and subsequently burst into flames. The pilot was seriously injured from the impact and postimpact fire. A witness reported that he did not see any smoke or fire coming from the airplane during the flight.
Data from a handheld GPS onboard the airplane revealed that the airplane had circled over the field being treated and then made four east-west spray passes. The recorded data ended before the airplane turned. It is likely that the pilot had finished with the east-west spray passes and intended to fly a few north-south passes to spray the southwest corner of the target field.
Postaccident examination of the airplane did not reveal evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The propeller blades and propeller spinner exhibited rotational signatures consistent with the propeller being driven with mid to high power at the time of impact. The flap actuator was found in a position that corresponded to the flaps being extended 22° at the time of impact. The airplane flight manual recommended that the flaps be extended 5° to 8° during agricultural turns because increasing flap extension during a turn makes it more difficult for the pilot to recover from an in-flight upset or loss of control.
The pilot’s previous employer reported that the pilot had a history of making tight turns during agricultural operations and had been warned about the associated dangers. A review of data from a handheld GPS onboard the airplane revealed faster turnaround times and higher-than-normal peak altitudes during each of the four turns the airplane made during the four passes before the accident pass (the data ended before the accident sequence), which is indicative of a more aggressive and tighter turnaround.
Based on the evidence, it is likely that the pilot made a tight left turnaround and extended the flaps excessively at some point during the turn, which likely led to an aerodynamic stall with insufficient altitude to recover.
Probable Cause: The pilot's improper decision to execute a tight turnaround with excessive flap extension during low-altitude agricultural operations, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall with insufficient altitude to recover.
The pilot died as a result of his injuries in early December 2017.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
FAA register: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=502G
https://www.kcbd.com/story/36982962/pilot-dies-after-crop-duster-plane-crash-in-lamb-county/
https://flightaware.com/photos/view/29032-2c3e4d4e714e6b060d60ff2c520a1bc45b178255/aircrafttype/B190
Location
Images:
Photo: NTSB
Media:
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2017 16:00 | Geno | Added |
| 24-Oct-2017 19:19 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Source, Embed code] |
| 24-Oct-2017 21:58 | Geno | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Source] |
| 04-Dec-2017 06:44 | Geno | Updated [Operator, Total fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 07-Aug-2019 11:03 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Total fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Accident report, ] |
| 07-Aug-2019 11:13 | harro | Updated [Source, Narrative, Photo] |
| 15-Sep-2022 15:57 | AgOps | Updated [Total fatalities, Source, Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation