Air Tractor AT-502 accident near Hughes, AR
On April 13, 1994, an Air Tractor AT-502 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Hughes, AR. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- April 13, 1994
- Place
- Hughes, AR
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-502 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 34.940°N, 90.469°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001206X01089
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On April 13, 1994, at 1130 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-502, N9086V, was destroyed on impact with terrain while maneuvering near Hughes, Arkansas. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the aerial application flight. According to the operator, the pilot was assigned to dispense fertilizer on a triangular shaped field from a height of 50 feet above the ground. The operator added that the pilot had worked the same field on three previous occasions within the last 12 months. The assigned flagman stated that the field was measured and posted at 60 feet intervals for a west to east spray pattern. For reasons unknown to the flagman, while on the fifth pass over the field, the pilot broke off the pass and circled to the left (north) to start anew. The pilot lined up at the same row he abandoned, and appeared to continue a normal pass up to the mid field point. The flagman stated that at the mid field point, he observed "the plane bumping up and down" with a pronounced up and down deflection of the elevator. The flagman further stated that the airplane gradually descended to the point where he had to duck out of the way to avoid being hit by the airplane. He observed the airplane fly overhead as the pilot discontinued the flow of fertilizer. He further reported that "the plane struggled to get over the willow trees" at the end of the field. After clearing the trees, the airplane was observed executing a left turn, followed by a right turn, as done to reverse direction. The flagman observed as the right
Probable cause
WAS THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN TERRAIN CLEARANCE FOR UNDETERMINED REASON.
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Browse: Arkansas · Air Tractor aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
