Air Tractor AT-502B N6067A

Summary

On 31 May 2001 at about 12:00 local time, a Air Tractor AT-502B registered N6067A was involved in an accident near Fort Pierce, Florida, 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

31 May 2001 at 12:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Fort Pierce, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Southestern Airport (FD30)

Coordinates

27.4950, -80.3683

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-502B

Registration

N6067A

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fort Pierce → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA01LA150

1 person had minor injuries.

The loss of engine power during takeoff/initial climb due to compressor turbine blade separation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that he had just taken off from the Southeastern Crop Service's private field, and he was about 100 feet in the air, when he heard a loud bang, and saw pieces coming out of the tailpipe. The pilot further stated that he then initiated a forced landing to an orange grove, and during the landing the airplane collided with trees and incurred substantial damage. An FAA inspector and a representative from Pratt and Whitney Canada, Montreal, Canada, conducted on-scene and follow-up examinations of the accident airplane. According to the Pratt and Whitney Canada representative, examination of the engine showed no sign of preimpact damage to the reduction gear box. In addition, the Pratt and Whitney Canada representative further stated that both the downstream damage, as well as the damage to the compressor turbine shroud were consistent with there having been a high energy impact due to compressor turbine blade fragments. The operator later provided portions of the engine to the NTSB after having first sent them to a laboratory he had contracted to conduct his own analysis. The NTSB conducted an examination of the engine parts the operator provided at the NTSB's Metallurgical Laboratory, Washington DC., and the examination showed the presence of damage consistent with overstress separations in cast materials.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.