Air Tractor Inc AT 502 accident near Kilbourne, LA
On April 18, 2016, an Air Tractor Inc AT 502 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Kilbourne, LA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- April 18, 2016
- Place
- Kilbourne, LA
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor Inc AT 502 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 33.000°N, 91.315°W
- NTSB ID
- 20160418X51924
Official records · CEN16LA154
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn April 18, 2016, about 0910 central daylight time, an Air Tractor Inc AT-502 airplane, N301LA, impacted terrain during spray operations near Kilbourne, Louisiana. The pilot was fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to and operated by Pioneer Flying Service, Inc., under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 as an aerial application flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, with no flight plan filed. The local flight departed a private airport about 0900. According to operator personnel, the pilot was conducting his second load of spray operations for the day to the same farm area, which was about ¼ mile north of the accident site. A witness near the accident noticed the airplane enter a rapid descent while in a turn until it impacted the ground. A post-crash fire ensued. The farmer whose field was being sprayed stated the pilot was "dressing up" a field, which had a tight area shaped like a bull nose, with trees at the end. The farmer did not witness the accident. He remarked the pilot was able to spray tight areas of fields that other pilots elected not to spray. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot, age 48, held a commercial pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating. The pilot held a second-class medical certificate issued on June 1, 2015, with the restriction that he must wear corrective lenses for near vision. The date of his last flight review was March 15, 2016. AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONThe single-engine low-wing conventional-geared airplane was equi
Probable cause
The failure of the operator to comply with the terminating action of the airworthiness directive, which resulted in the subsequent failure and separation of the vertical stabilizer due to fatigue.
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Browse: Louisiana · 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.
