Air Tractor Inc AT-602 accident near Clarksdale, MS
On July 1, 2014, an Air Tractor Inc AT-602 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Clarksdale, MS. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- July 1, 2014
- Place
- Clarksdale, MS
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor Inc AT-602 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 34.106°N, 90.571°W
- NTSB ID
- 20140701X04134
Official records · ERA14FA322
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On July 1, 2014, about 1730 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-602, N91331, operated by Shannon Agricultural Flying, Inc., was destroyed when it impacted a bean field in Clarksdale, Mississippi. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the airplane, which departed Shannon Field (02CD), Clarksdale, Mississippi, was not operating on a flight plan. The local aerial application flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137. According to company personnel and onboard GPS data, the airplane was applying fertilizer in both directions in an east-west race track pattern. After completing each leg, the airplane would make a 20- to 30-degree left turn, followed by a right turn to reverse course and fly the next track. The GPS track indicated that the airplane was on its fourth circuit, with the data ending prior to the final turn. A witness on his lawn mower noticed the airplane when it flew over his property about 150 feet above the ground. He heard the airplane's engine running over the sound of the mower, and saw the airplane turn right, to the north, and the wings go vertical. The airplane then impacted the ground, and when it did, the witness saw smoke and fertilizer being ejected upwards. The witness then went to the wreckage and found the pilot unresponsive. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot, age 58, held commercial pilot certificate with an airplane single engine land rating. His latest FAA second class medical certificate was issued February 27, 2014. The latest fligh
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during a low-level, high angle-of-bank turn, which resulted in an exceedance of the critical angle of attack and a subsequent accelerated stall.
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Browse: Mississippi · 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.
