Air Tractor AT602 N2033N

Summary

On 28 July 2016 at about 20:30 local time, a Air Tractor AT602 registered N2033N, operated by Emrich Aerial Spraying, LLC, was involved in an accident near David City, Nebraska, 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

28 July 2016 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

David City, Nebraska, United States

Coordinates

41.2950, -97.1025

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT602

Registration

N2033N

Category

Airplane

Year built

2011

Engines

1

Operator

Emrich Aerial Spraying, LLC

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Columbus → Columbus

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN16LA291

1 person died.

The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack while maneuvering at low altitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot was performing an aerial application flight when the airplane struck the ground in a right wing low, 60° nose-down attitude. Flight track data from an onboard aerial guidance system revealed that the airplane had completed 6 previous aerial applications that morning, and was engaged in a seventh application when the accident occurred. During the last application, the airplane made 4 passes followed by shallow turns to reverse direction. During these turns, the airplane climbed until it reached 90° abeam the direction of application, then descended as it completed the turn on the opposite heading. The accident occurred during the turn between the fourth and fifth passes. Postaccident examination of the airframe, engine, and propeller revealed no evidence of any mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The flap actuator was found extended 3-7/8 inches, correlating to a flap extension of 30°. Based on the recorded data, the characteristics of the airplane's last turn before impact did not vary greatly from that of the other turns performed during the accident flight. It is likely that, during the turn, the pilot allowed the airspeed to decay and the airplane exceeded its critical angle of attack, which resulted in an inadvertent aerodynamic stall at an altitude which did not allow for recovery.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.