ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 280826
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| Date: | Tuesday 26 July 2022 |
| Time: | 17:01 |
| Type: |  Air Tractor AT-802 |
| Owner/operator: | Lassco LLC |
| Registration: | N214RL |
| MSN: | 802-0896 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2021 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Portland, AR -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Agricultural |
| Departure airport: | Portland, AR (private) |
| Portland, AR (private) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On July 26, 2022, about 1701 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-802A airplane, N749LA, and an Air Tractor AT-802 airplane, N214RL, were involved in an accident near Portland, Arkansas. The AT-802A was destroyed and the AT-802 was substantially damaged. The pilot of the AT-802A was fatally injured and the pilot of the AT-802 was seriously injured. Both aircraft were operated as Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flights.
The pilot of an Air Tractor AT-802A was applying chemical on the first pass over a cotton field in a southerly direction. Simultaneously, an AT-802 was ferrying in a southeasterly direction, between 400 and 500 ft above the ground. As the AT 802A pilot completed his pass and climbed to reverse the direction of turn, his airplane collided with the ferrying AT-802 passing overhead. The AT-802A continued in a left turn and crashed into a soybean field, killing the pilot. The AT-802 began to spin and descended vertically to the ground; its pilot was seriously injured.
The surviving pilot of the AT-802 later reported that he was unaware that the other pilot was operating in the area. The two pilots were not communicating by radio. Although there may have been some sun glare that could have affected the AT-802A pilot’s visibility, the investigation revealed that both pilots were in positions to see the other airplane in ample time to avoid a collision. An examination of both wreckages did not reveal evidence of a preexisting malfunction or failure that would have prevented normal operation of the either airplane.
Although the Professional Aerial Applicator’s Support System (PAASS) slogan, “Ferry above five (hundred) and stay alive” was known to the AT-802 pilot and was commonly known in the aerial application industry, this investigation revealed that both pilots consistently climbed above 500 ft agl during their reverse-direction turns while applying chemical. If the pilot of the AT-802 had flown his airplane at or above 1,000 ft agl, the collision would likely have been avoided.
Probable Cause: The failure of both pilots to see and avoid the other airplane during aerial application and ferry operations.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.ashleynewsobserver.com/news/one-dies-another-injured-after-ag-planes-collide-in-ashley-county/article_6d7ee58c-0d50-11ed-9b14-837b07944b98.html
https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=105589
https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=N214RL
Location
Images:
Photo: NTSB
Media:
NTSB is investigating the July 26, midair collision involving an Air Tractor AT-802A and an Air Tractor AT-802 near Portland, Arkansas.
— NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) July 27, 2022
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Jul-2022 05:50 | Captain Adam | Added |
| 27-Jul-2022 06:10 | harro | Updated [Time, Location, Nature, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 27-Jul-2022 12:47 | RobertMB | Updated [Registration, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Phase, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 28-Jul-2022 08:54 | Captain Adam | Updated [Narrative] |
| 29-Jul-2022 18:12 | AgOps | Updated [Source, Category] |
| 20-Aug-2022 17:37 | Captain Adam | Updated [Time, Source, Narrative, Category] |
| 21-Mar-2024 17:50 | Captain Adam | Updated [Time, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Accident report, Photo] |
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