Air Tractor AT-602 N5003E
15 April 2006 · Meridian, Mississippi, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 15 April 2006 at about 21:30 local time, a Air Tractor AT-602 registered N5003E was involved in an accident near Meridian, Mississippi, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 21:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Meridian, Mississippi, United States
- Coordinates
- 32.8133, -88.7064
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-602
- Registration
- N5003E
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 137: Agricultural
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial Application
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Meridain → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- DFW06LA103
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from trees. Contributing factors were the drug impairment and low maneuvering altitude.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The 8,600-hour commercial pilot was maneuvering at a low altitude during a local aerial application flight, when the airplane impacted a tree and subsequently the ground. The airplane came to rest in the upright position and was destroyed by a post-impact fire. All major components of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site. Continuity was established to all of the airplane's flight controls. An examination of the airplane's engine and propeller revealed no pre-impact anomalies. A toxicological evaluation of the pilot's specimens revealed hydrocodone and alprazolam. Both drugs have been shown to have a negative effect on psychomotor task. The level of hydrocodone reported in the pilot's blood was more then 50 times the level expected about one and a half hours following a typical single maximum dose of medication. The level of alprazolam reported in the pilot's blood was consistent with more than twice the dose shown to cause impairment.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Air Tractor AT-602 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Apr 2006 | Air Tractor AT-602 | Ulysses, Kansas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 2 Mar 2005 | Air Tractor AT-602 | Panama City, Florida, United States | Gentry's Flying Service, LLC. | No injuries | - |
| 22 Oct 2005 | Air Tractor AT-602 | Ballidu, Australia | Dunn's Aviation PTY LTD | Fatal | 1 |
| 30 Apr 2007 | Air Tractor AT-602 | Benoit, Mississippi, United States | Shelby Air Service, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 23 Jul 2007 | Air Tractor AT-602 | Prophetstown, Illinois, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Oct 2007 | Air Tractor AT-602 | Columbia, Louisiana, United States | Hog Air Aviation | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Jul 2006 | Cessna 172N | Petal, Mississippi, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 15 Oct 2006 | Cessna 182 | Vicksburg, Mississippi, United States | Jay Air | No injuries | - |
| 27 Dec 2006 | Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415-C | Lakeshore, Mississippi, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 7 Sep 2006 | Piper PA-23-250 | Newton, Mississippi, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 29 Jul 2006 | Curtiss-Wright TRAVEL AIR 4000 | Jackson, Mississippi, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 18 May 2006 | Beechcraft BE33 | Greenville, Mississippi, United States | Leigh A New | No injuries | - |