Air Tractor AT-502B N6113C

Summary

On 15 July 2013 at about 16:30 local time, a Air Tractor AT-502B registered N6113C, operated by Air Advantage Inc., was involved in an accident near Nauvoo, Illinois, 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

15 July 2013 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Nauvoo, Illinois, United States

Coordinates

40.5500, -91.3833

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-502B

Registration

N6113C

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Air Advantage Inc.

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Carthage → Carthage

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN13LA473

Nobody was injured.

A fatigue failure of an engine compressor turbine blade, which resulted in extensive secondary engine damage and a complete loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, as he was setting up for the initial aerial application run, he heard a "loud explosion," at which point, the propeller stopped turning. Metallic debris emitted from the engine exhaust, which was followed by grinding noises coming from the engine. The pilot executed a forced landing to a soybean field, which resulted in the right main landing gear collapsing and the right wing sustaining substantial damage. A postaccident engine examination revealed that one compressor turbine blade separated from the disc as a result of fatigue. The remaining engine damage was due to the secondary impact of blade fragments during the failure sequence. Further examination of the initial compressor blade fracture surface was limited by the secondary damage sustained during the event.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.