Air Tractor AT-504 N970FA

Summary

On 8 February 2020 at about 19:40 local time, a Air Tractor AT-504 registered N970FA, operated by CO Fire Aviation, was involved in an accident near Fort Morgan, Colorado, United States. 2 people were 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 February 2020 at 19:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Fort Morgan, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Fort Morgan Muni (FMM)

Coordinates

40.3356, -103.8042

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-504

Registration

N970FA

Category

Airplane

Year built

2015

Engines

1

Operator

CO Fire Aviation

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fort Morgan → Fort Morgan

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN20CA079

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's improper landing flare, which resulted in a bounced landing, and his subsequent failure to maintain directional control, which resulted in the left main landing gear tire bursting and the tailwheel assembly failing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot on the controls in the left seat, the right seat pilot was familiarizing him with the airplane. The airplane bounced during landing on the runway. During the landing roll, the airplane veered left, and he overcorrected to the right, followed by an overcorrection to the left. He applied heavy braking, and the airplane turned 120° to the right. The side load on the left main landing gear tire resulted in it bursting. The wheel rim then dug into the runway, the airplane bounced, the tailwheel assembly failed, and the tail spring steel strut then dug into the soft surface. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the aft fuselage and the empennage.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.