Air Tractor AT502 N60642

Summary

On 7 June 2019 at about 13:40 local time, a Air Tractor AT502 registered N60642 was involved in an accident near Monument, Kansas, United States. One person was on board and 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.

Date

7 June 2019 at 13:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Monument, Kansas, United States

Coordinates

39.1044, -101.0072

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT502

Registration

N60642

Category

Airplane

Year built

1994

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Monument → Monument

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA19CA328

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to maintain altitude due to distraction by ground equipment in the airplane’s path, which resulted in his failure to maintain clearance from crops during an agricultural application flight and 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 pilot reported that, during an agricultural application flight and while the airplane was about 10 ft above ground level, he became distracted by ground equipment in the airplane's path, and he inadvertently allowed the airplane to descend, which resulted in the right main landing gear descending and the right spray boom descending into the wheat crop. The airplane veered right, descended uncontrollably, and impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage, and the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.