Air Tractor AT-502B accident near Farwell, TX
On September 12, 2003, an Air Tractor AT-502B (airplane) was involved in an accident near Farwell, TX. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- September 12, 2003
- Place
- Farwell, TX
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-502B · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 34.431°N, 103.079°W
- NTSB ID
- 20030915X01541
NTSB summary
On September 12, 2003, approximately 0900 mountain daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-502B single-engine agricultural airplane, N61353, was destroyed when it impacted the terrain following a loss of control while maneuvering near Farwell, Texas. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant of the airplane, sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was registered to and operated by Tate Spraying Services, Inc., of Clovis, New Mexico. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight. The local flight departed a private airstrip near Clovis, New Mexico, approximately 0745. The operator reported the airplane departed the private airstrip to apply the third load of chemical to a nearby field. The weather was clear with light winds from the west. A witness observed an aircraft flying low over a field, traveling in a northerly then southerly direction, and pulling up sharply close to power lines. During a low pass in a southerly direction, the airplane pulled up abruptly and went almost straight up. The right wing dropped, and the aircraft went straight nose down. The witness then observed a cloud of dust and called 911. A second witness observed the airplane flying northwest and then pull-up into a nose high "almost vertical" attitude. The airplane was executing maneuvers "like that of an air show, when the pilot pulls [the airplane] straight up and comes straight down." The witness reported he thought the airplane went down into a canyon because it never came back up. He then o
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering which resulted in an inadvertent stall.
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Browse: Texas · 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.
