Air Tractor AT-502 N45379
15 June 2012 · Ipswich, South Dakota, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 15 June 2012 at about 21:45 local time, a Air Tractor AT-502 registered N45379, operated by Tri-County AG Service Inc, was involved in an accident near Ipswich, South Dakota, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 21:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Ipswich, South Dakota, United States
- Nearest airport
- TC Field Airport (2SD9)
- Coordinates
- 45.4519, -99.0100
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-502
- Registration
- N45379
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Tri-County AG Service Inc
- Operating rule
- Part 137: Agricultural
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial Application
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Ipswich → Ipswich
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN12CA375
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to abort the takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The airplane was departing from a 2,400-foot asphalt runway on an aerial application flight. The airplane was loaded to its maximum gross takeoff weight and configured with 10 degrees of flaps prior to the takeoff roll. The pilot reported that a tall stand of trees at the southeast side of the departure end of the runway blocked the wind and seemed to “create a void in the air,” which resulted in an extended takeoff roll. Electing not to abort the takeoff, the pilot added more flaps in an attempt to get the airplane airborne; however, he was unsuccessful. The airplane went off the end of the runway, hit a ditch, and skidded across the road into a field. The landing gear separated from the airframe and the airplane’s fuselage and control surfaces sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation during the attempted takeoff.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Air Tractor AT-502 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Sep 2012 | Air Tractor AT-502 | Firebaugh, California, United States | Thiel Air Care Inc | No injuries | - |
| 14 Aug 2012 | Air Tractor AT-502 | Hanley Falls, Minnesota, United States | Northstar Aerospray Inc | Minor injuries | - |
| 7 Feb 2013 | Air Tractor AT-502 | Forrest City, Arkansas, United States | South Delta Aviation Inc | Minor injuries | - |
| 22 Jul 2011 | Air Tractor AT-502 | Fergus Falls, Minnesota, United States | Farmers Union Oil Company | No injuries | - |
| 21 Jun 2011 | Air Tractor AT-502 | Blackfoot, Idaho, United States | Vector Disease Control International | No injuries | - |
| 25 Jun 2011 | Air Tractor AT-502 | Lewistown, Montana, United States | SRB Aerial Applicators LLC | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Aug 2012 | Bell 47G-2 | Flandreau, South Dakota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Sep 2012 | Cessna 175A | Spearfish, South Dakota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 7 Jun 2012 | Beechcraft 77 | Clark, South Dakota, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 24 Feb 2012 | Piper PA-28-161 | Rapid City, South Dakota, United States | Skyways LTD | No injuries | - |
| 23 May 2012 | Rockwell S-2R | Howard, South Dakota, United States | East River Air Spray | No injuries | - |
| 28 Aug 2012 | Lee Paul SQ 2000 | Pierre, South Dakota, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |