Air Tractor AT502 N60237

Summary

On 31 July 2009 at about 16:00 local time, a Air Tractor AT502 registered N60237, operated by William Jeff Jones, was involved in an accident near Minter City, Mississippi, 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

31 July 2009 at 16:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Minter City, Mississippi, United States

Nearest airport

Private Airstrip (NONE)

Coordinates

33.7500, -90.3000

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT502

Registration

N60237

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

William Jeff Jones

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Minter City → Minter City

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA09LA431

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering at a low altitude, resulting in an aerodynamic stall.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, he was on his fourth aerial application of the day, with a load of 430 gallons of fungicide. He departed to the northeast and turned west. He said everything was normal until he got closer to the pecan orchard that he was planning to spray. As he got closer to the trees, the airplane began to "mush" and started shaking. He said he "hit" the dump lever, but not hard enough to activate it. The airplane then descended and impacted the trees. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions, nor did the pilot report any. The pilot stated that the engine was operating continuously, but he was not able to clear the pecan trees.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.