Air Tractor AT-502 accident near Mcgehee, AR
On March 19, 1998, an Air Tractor AT-502 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Mcgehee, AR. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- March 19, 1998
- Place
- Mcgehee, AR
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-502 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 33.620°N, 91.390°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001211X09659
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On March 19, 1998, at 0558 central standard time, an Air Tractor AT-502 agricultural airplane, N10035, was destroyed following a loss of control while maneuvering near McGehee, Arkansas. The instrument rated commercial pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was fatally injured. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot under Title 14 CFR Part 137. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed for the aerial application flight for which a flight plan was not filed. The flight originated from the operator's private airstrip at 0554. The airplane was loaded with "Roundup Ultra" defoliant, to be sprayed on two fields located approximately 3 miles southeast of the operator's airstrip. Witnesses near the accident site reported that they heard the airplane take off toward the west during the early dawn in "clear weather." The owner of a convenience store near the accident site reported that a very dense fog formed within 10 minutes from the time he arrived to open the store at 0545. He further stated that the weather was "clear and 50 degrees" when he first opened, and by the time he came out to unlock the fuel pumps, he "could not see the other side of the street due to the heavy fog that had formed." An individual that resides in a mobile home near the accident site reported that he "could not see the airplane due to the fog, but he heard the airplane maneuvering" west of his location. He further reported hearing the sound of the engine accelerating prior to hearing the sound of the airplane impacting the trees. Another individual, who resides less than
Probable cause
The pilot's inadvertent flight into adverse weather conditions resulting in the loss of control due to spatial disorientation. Factors were the fog and low ceiling, and the inadequate flight instruments available to the pilot.
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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.
