Air Tractor AT 602 N4257R

Summary

On 8 July 2017 at about 19:53 local time, a Air Tractor AT 602 registered N4257R, operated by Quad Rabbit Inc, was involved in an accident near Cash, Arkansas, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 July 2017 at 19:53

Classification

Accident

Location

Cash, Arkansas, United States

Coordinates

35.7903, -90.8883

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT 602

Registration

N4257R

Category

Airplane

Year built

2006

Engines

1

Operator

Quad Rabbit Inc

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cash → Cash

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN17FA259

1 person died.

The pilot's incapacitation due to a cardiac event, which resulted in a loss of airplane control.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot was conducting his sixth agricultural load application of the day. Witnesses observed the airplane make a low-altitude turn and subsequently enter a spin with a nose-low attitude . The airplane subsequently impacted a rice field adjacent to the field being treated. Postaccident examination of the airframe, engine, and propeller revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot's autopsy revealed that he had severe coronary artery disease with evidence of associated heart muscle injury. No evidence was found indicating that the pilot was aware of his health issues. The coronary artery disease increased the pilot's risk of a cardiac event, which would have resulted in shortness of breath, dizziness, lightheadedness, or an irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia) with decreased cardiac output and loss of consciousness. The combination of the normal stress associated with low-altitude maneuvering and decreased cardiac output likely resulted in a sudden decrease of blood flow to the brain and the pilot's incapacitation, which resulted in his loss of airplane control.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.