Air Tractor AT-502B N6047G

Summary

On 17 August 2012 at about 21:00 local time, a Air Tractor AT-502B registered N6047G, operated by DAN Aero Inc, was involved in an accident near Bogata, Texas, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

17 August 2012 at 21:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Bogata, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Private Airstrip

Coordinates

33.4706, -95.2136

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-502B

Registration

N6047G

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

DAN Aero Inc

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bogata → Bogata

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN12CA568

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s inadequate preflight planning, which resulted in the airplane’s loading beyond its maximum gross weight.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he completed two successful aerial application flights from the same 2,000-foot turf runway before the accident flight. For the next chemical application, the airplane was loaded on downsloping terrain, in a tail-high attitude, just before the accident flight. This position may have affected the accuracy of the sight gauge. The pilot was distracted during the chemical loading and refueling and did not recheck the level of the chemical in the hopper. In a postaccident interview, the pilot stated that after loading, the airplane exceeded its maximum gross weight by about 500 pounds. The temperature was about 95 degrees Fahrenheit and the wind was from 270 degrees at 5 knots. The pilot departed with 10 degrees of flaps. The airplane became airborne but did not get out of ground effect. According to the pilot, the airplane “sagged” and the left main landing gear hit an embankment. The airplane landed in the adjacent cornfield and sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. He stated that a dust devil may have affected the airplane’s performance.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.