Air Tractor AT 502B N502WC
23 July 2016 · Zamora, California, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 23 July 2016 at about 14:45 local time, a Air Tractor AT 502B registered N502WC, operated by Farm Air Flying Services, was involved in an accident near Zamora, California, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one had minor injuries. 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 14:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Zamora, California, United States
- Nearest airport
- Riego Flight Strip Airport (38CL)
- Coordinates
- 38.8028, -121.7675
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT 502B
- Registration
- N502WC
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 2012
- Operator
- Farm Air Flying Services
- Operating rule
- Part 137: Agricultural
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial Application
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Verona → Verona
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR16FA148
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
The failure of both pilots to maintain an adequate visual lookout, which resulted in a midair collision. Also causal was the pilot's use of two sedating antihistamines and two impairing medication and the effect of sun glare on his visual lookout, which likely led to his inability to successfully see and avoid the other airplane.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
Both agricultural application airplanes were returning to their respective home bases after completing application operations when they collided in-flight at an altitude less than 500 ft agl. Following the collision, one of the airplanes (N502WC) descended to ground contact, fatally injuring the pilot. The pilot of the second airplane (N5044N) performed a forced landing to a field. That pilot reported that he did not see the other airplane until immediately before the collision. Examination of the engine and flight control systems of both airplanes revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation including the ability to maneuver the airplanes away from each other. The deceased pilot had at least therapeutic levels of two impairing medications, cyclobenzaprine and hydrocodone, at the time of the accident. In addition, he had low levels of two sedating antihistamines, chlorpheniramine and diphenhydramine. These four drugs, in combination, would likely have slowed his psychomotor functioning and decreased his attentiveness to the flight environment. Therefore, it is likely that the fatally injured pilot's use of a combination cyclobenzaprine, hydrocodone, and two sedating antihistamines, contributed to his inability to successfully see and avoid the other airplane. Based upon the sun's position and the statement from the second pilot, the sun was likely in the eyes of the deceased pilot. There was no evidence of the deceased pilot performing any evasive maneuver prior to the collision, which suggests that he never visually acquired the other airplane prior to the collision.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Tractor AT 502B B | N502WC | Farm Air Flying Services | Substantial |
| Air Tractor AT 502B B | N5044N | Growers Air Service Inc | Substantial |
Other Air Tractor AT-502B accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Oct 2016 | Air Tractor AT 502B | Hereford, Texas, United States | Krech Dakota Airspray Inc | Serious injuries | - |
| 8 Aug 2016 | Air Tractor AT-502B | Hickory Ridge, Arkansas, United States | Burnette Aviation Inc | Fatal | 1 |
| 26 Jul 2017 | Air Tractor AT 502B | Harrold, South Dakota, United States | Custom Air Inc | Minor injuries | - |
| 9 Nov 2015 | Air Tractor AT-502B | Balsas, Brazil | Ribeirao S/A | Fatal | 1 |
| 1 Aug 2015 | Air Tractor AT 502B | Virden, Illinois, United States | C & L Holzwarth Inc | No injuries | - |
| 5 May 2015 | Air Tractor AT 502B | Basile, Louisiana, United States | Lejeune Aerial Applications LLC | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Oct 2016 | Joe Salomone SUPER CUB SQ2 | Boca Reservoir, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 12 Dec 2016 | Cessna T210M | Mecca, California, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 25 Aug 2016 | Siai-Marchetti SF260 | Fullerton, California, United States | Air Combat, USA | Minor injuries | - |
| 15 Dec 2016 | Bombardier CL 600 2B19 | San Francisco, California, United States | Skywest Airlines Inc | Unknown | - |
| 24 Aug 2016 | Cessna 182 | Fallbrook, California, United States | Civil Air Patrol Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 8 Jul 2016 | Cessna 172 | San Diego, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |