Air Tractor AT-802A N802BB

Summary

On 20 August 2014 at about 19:55 local time, a Air Tractor AT-802A registered N802BB, operated by Ag Air, LLC, was involved in an accident near Parsons, Tennessee, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 August 2014 at 19:55

Classification

Accident

Location

Parsons, Tennessee, United States

Coordinates

35.7047, -88.1453

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-802A

Registration

N802BB

Category

Airplane

Year built

1999

Engines

1

Operator

Ag Air, LLC

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Parsons → Parsons

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA14FA399

1 person died.

The pilot’s failure to see and avoid trees during a low-level aerial application operation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was applying chemicals to a soybean field when the airplane struck trees located at the edge of the field and then impacted the ground. Data from the onboard aerial spray operations computer revealed that the pilot was making spray passes to the east and west over the soybean field at low altitude and reversing course between each pass by making a left 180-degree turn. The data stopped before the tree impact; however, the wreckage path began just east of the north-south line of 50-ft-tall trees and was oriented to the east indicating the pilot was likely about to begin a spray pass to the east when the airplane impacted the trees. Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of preexisting anomalies or malfunctions. The propeller blades exhibited signatures consistent with power at the time of impact, and several tree limbs were found along the debris path with smooth, 45-degree cuts. Toxicology testing and autopsy results on the pilot revealed no evidence of an incapacitating event.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.