ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 295662
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| Date: | Sunday 22 June 2003 |
| Time: | 09:36 LT |
| Type: |  Air Tractor AT-802A |
| Owner/operator: | Aeronautical Technologies, Inc. |
| Registration: | N8505E |
| MSN: | 802A-0133 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 566 hours |
| Engine model: | Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67AG |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Las Vegas, New Mexico -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Fire fighting |
| Departure airport: | Las Vegas Airport, NM (LVS/KLVS) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot was on his fourth sortie of the day, dropping retardant on a forest fire. He lowered flaps to 20 degrees and slowed the airplane to 100 to 120 knots in preparation for the drop. He passed the initial point in a slight right bank with a 500 to 600 foot per minute rate of descent and approximately a 3-degree glide angle. He momentarily diverted his attention to smoke rising from the target area. When he looked back, he saw a dead snag immediately in front of the airplane. He was unable to avoid hitting the tree due to its proximity and his rate of closure. The impact deflected the right elevator full down. The airplane pitched nose down and struck a second tree. The pilot regained limited control and returned to the airport, where he made an uneventful landing.
Probable Cause: the pilot's failure to maintain obstacle clearance and visual lookout. Contributing factors were his attention being diverted and the trees.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB DEN03LA109
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 13-Oct-2022 11:12 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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