Air Tractor AT-402A N9032K

Summary

On 25 August 2002 at about 15:00 local time, a Air Tractor AT-402A registered N9032K, operated by Vance J. Bakke, was involved in an accident near Cherokee, Iowa, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 August 2002 at 15:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Cherokee, Iowa, United States

Nearest airport

Cherokee Municipal (CKP)

Coordinates

42.7314, -95.5561

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-402A

Registration

N9032K

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Vance J. Bakke

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cherokee → Cherokee

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI02LA259

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot failed to maintain clearance with the power lines resulting in the rudder separation and the subsequent loss of aircraft control. A factor associated with the accident was the power line that was contacted.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane contacted power lines during an aerial application flight. The pilot reported he was making a swath run along a set of power lines that ran north and south through the middle of a field when the airplane contacted another set of power lines that ran east and west along the north edge of the field. The top 10 inches of the vertical stabilizer and the rudder separated from the airplane. The pilot reported that when the rudder separated, the rudder pedals were "pulled tight against the hopper" which resulted in him having no rudder control. In addition, he stated that he only had "some" aileron control. The pilot reported that about one-half mile from the airport, he pulled the power back to 1,000 pounds of torque and the airplane began to bank to the right. He reported that he was unable to control the bank with the ailerons. According to the pilot, the airplane then banked to the left, the nose pitched up, and the airplane "rolled over on its back." He reported the nose then dropped and the airplane descended into the ground.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.