Air Tractor AT-502 N293JK
27 July 2002 · San Manuel, Arizona, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 27 July 2002 at about 18:30 local time, a Air Tractor AT-502 registered N293JK was involved in an accident near San Manuel, Arizona, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 18:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- San Manuel, Arizona, United States
- Nearest airport
- San Manuel Airport (E77)
- Coordinates
- 32.6364, -110.6472
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-502
- Registration
- N293JK
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 137: Agricultural
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial Application
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- San Manuel → San Manuel
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX02LA240
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering in a box canyon, which resulted in a stall/mush. A factor in the accident was downdraft conditions that led to an uncontrolled decent.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The airplane collided with mountainous terrain while maneuvering in a box canyon. The purpose of the flight was to seed a fire devastated portion of a National Forest. The area where he was applying seed was in a box canyon that he had flown into several times, in days prior. After successfully completing a seed run, near the closed end of the canyon, he began a course reversal turn. About halfway through the turn, the airplane experienced a rapid loss of altitude. He ascertained that the airplane would not be able to complete the turn, and leveled the wings. The airplane stalled, and collided with flat terrain on the side of the mountain. He thought the loss of altitude that he experienced was the result of mountain downdrafts. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Air Tractor AT-502 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Nov 2002 | Air Tractor AT-502 | Weiner, Arkansas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 15 Apr 2002 | Air Tractor AT-502 | Lamesa, Texas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 5 Mar 2002 | Air Tractor AT-502 | Schlater, Mississippi, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 Apr 2003 | Air Tractor AT-502 | Sedan, New Mexico, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 18 Sep 2003 | Air Tractor AT-502 | Fort Pierce, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Aug 2003 | Air Tractor AT-502 | Hudson, Illinois, United States | Jeffrey Dungan | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Jul 2002 | Beechcraft 95-B55 | Mesa, Arizona, United States | Charles A. Moran | No injuries | - |
| 13 Jul 2002 | Steen SE-1 | Tucson, Arizona, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 8 Nov 2002 | Cessna 208B | Parks, Arizona, United States | - | Fatal | 4 |
| 13 Jul 2002 | McConnell LANCAIR 320 | Sedona, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Mar 2002 | Pilatus UV-20A | Marana, Arizona, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 16 Mar 2002 | Avian MAGNUM IX | Sedona, Arizona, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |