Air Tractor AT 402 N1500E

Summary

On 8 October 2018 at about 15:20 local time, a Air Tractor AT 402 registered N1500E, operated by Leleuxs Flying Service Inc., was involved in an accident near Crowley, Louisiana, 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

8 October 2018 at 15:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Crowley, Louisiana, United States

Nearest airport

Private (PVT)

Coordinates

30.0550, -92.2458

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT 402

Registration

N1500E

Category

Airplane

Year built

1991

Engines

1

Operator

Leleuxs Flying Service Inc.

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Crowley → Crowley

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA19CA010

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for takeoff, which resulted in a collision with vegetation and a subsequent loss of directional control.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he did not want to take off from the wet grass airstrip he normally used, so he decided to take off from an asphalt road that paralleled the grass on the left side of the airstrip. During the takeoff roll, the left wing collided with tall vegetation, and the airplane veered left and exited the road. The airplane subsequently impacted a drainage culvert. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.