Air Tractor AT-502B N60762

Summary

On 3 March 1998 at about 22:45 local time, a Air Tractor AT-502B registered N60762 was involved in an accident near Lake Village, Arkansas, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 March 1998 at 22:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Lake Village, Arkansas, United States

Coordinates

33.3201, -91.2791

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-502B

Registration

N60762

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW98LA140

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's use of unsuitable terrain for takeoff. A factor was the rough/uneven terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

After filling his aerial application aircraft with 350 gallons of liquid fertilizer, the pilot began his takeoff roll. As the airplane's tail lifted off of the ground, the right main landing gear entered a rut, which resulted in the aircraft decelerating and veering to the right into soft ground. Subsequently, the aircraft 'flipped' over onto its back. The pilot stated that he and the landowner drove 'up and down the airstrip stopping several times to test the condition of the strip' prior to his initial landing to the strip. He further stated that '[he] noticed the strip to be a little rough but [he] felt that it was firm enough to work off of.' The pilot reported that during his initial landing he did not notice any problems with the strip.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.