Air Tractor AT 602 N419TW

Summary

On 21 April 2020 at about 16:15 local time, a Air Tractor AT 602 registered N419TW, operated by Tradewind Ag Inc., was involved in an accident near El Campo, Texas, 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

21 April 2020 at 16:15

Classification

Accident

Location

El Campo, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Private Agricultural Airstrip (None)

Coordinates

29.3186, -96.4025

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT 602

Registration

N419TW

Category

Airplane

Year built

2014

Engines

1

Operator

Tradewind Ag Inc.

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

El Campo → El Campo

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN20CA158

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's misjudgment of a ground spray rig’s position and his incorrect belief that a runway incursion might occur, which resulted in the pilot attempting and then aborting a go-around, which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with a fence.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was landing at a remote agricultural airstrip for the first time. While on the final approach to land to the south and just before touchdown, the pilot saw a ground spray rig maneuver toward the airstrip. The airplane touched down uneventfully. The pilot added that the ground spray rig then "pulled out on me, not thinking it could be on the road that went around the end of the airstrip." The pilot incorrectly judged that the ground spray rig was crossing the runway and incorrectly believed that a runway incursion might occur. The pilot applied full power, but due to the turbine engine's lag in accelerating, the pilot realized that he was "not going to have enough time" to perform a go-around. The pilot reduced the power and attempted to stop the airplane before he ran out of available runway. The airplane impacted a perimeter fence and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, the right aileron, and the engine mount. The operator reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.