Air Tractor AT-502 accident near Chowchilla, CA
On August 5, 2006, an Air Tractor AT-502 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Chowchilla, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- August 5, 2006
- Place
- Chowchilla, CA
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-502 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 37.036°N, 120.358°W
- NTSB ID
- 20060811X01157
Official records · LAX06LA255
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On August 5, 2006, about 0408 Pacific daylight time, an Air Tractor, Inc., AT-502, N502WQ, crashed into an open field while maneuvering about 7 nautical miles south-southwest of Chowchilla, California. The agricultural application flight accident occurred during dark nighttime and visual meteorological conditions. The airplane was owned and operated by Thiel Air Care, Inc., Chowchilla, California, and it was substantially damaged upon impacting the ground in an inverted attitude. The commercial pilot was killed. The flight was performed under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137, and it originated from Chowchilla about 0340. At the time of the accident, the operator's ground employee (flagger) was standing near the field being sprayed and was watching the accident airplane. The operator reported to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that a few seconds prior to the accident, the flagger heard the pilot on the company radio. The pilot had inquired about the local wind condition. The operator reported that this type of inquiry was a common practice for the pilot to make nearing the end of the designated spray operation over the field. The pilot did not indicate that he was experiencing any problem. The flagger also indicated that the airplane's "main work lights" became visible (were turned on) just before the crash. This was an unusual sighting and event because normally the lights are not activated when the airplane is in that location or when the airplane reverses course. The accident occurred near the end of t
Probable cause
The pilot's loss of control while maneuvering resulting from an incapacitating physiological event.
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Browse: California · 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.
