Air Tractor AT-402 N1027V

Summary

On 20 August 2007 at about 14:15 local time, a Air Tractor AT-402 registered N1027V was involved in an accident near Cary, Mississippi, 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

20 August 2007 at 14:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Cary, Mississippi, United States

Coordinates

32.8425, -90.9542

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-402

Registration

N1027V

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Blanton → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DFW07LA187

1 person had minor injuries.

The total loss of engine power due to a power turbine failure. Contributing to the accident were the lack of suitable terrain available to pilot for the forced landing and the low altitude.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The 9,901-hour commercial pilot lost control of the tail wheel-equipped airplane while performing aerial application. According to the pilot, the engine produced an "explosion" like noise prior to a total loss of engine power. The pilot was then forced to land the airplane in a cotton and soybean field. Upon landing, the airplane sustained damage to the propeller blades, both main landing gears, both wings, the fuselage, and the vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that at the time of the mishap the airplanes' altitude was approximately be 5 to 10 feet above ground level, resulting in a lack of suitable terrain for forced landing. Teardown and examination of the engine revealed the failure was initiated by a compressor turbine guide vane ring crack at a weld repair that released material into the compressor turbine blades.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.