Air Tractor Inc AT 502B accident near Enid, OK
On June 19, 2018, an Air Tractor Inc AT 502B (airplane) was involved in an accident near Enid, OK. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- June 19, 2018
- Place
- Enid, OK
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor Inc AT 502B · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 36.472°N, 97.940°W
- NTSB ID
- 20180619X24552
Official records · CEN18FA232
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn June 19, 2018, about 0715 central daylight time, an Air Tractor 502B, N2063B, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Enid, Oklahoma. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 agricultural flight. According to the operator, the airplane was dispatched to apply fertilizer to a nearby field. The pilot had also applied fertilizer to that field the previous day. Preflight operations were normal and company personnel stated that the pilot was in good spirits before the flight. A witness observed the airplane make 8-10 passes over the field then saw the airplane fly low, pop up, and make a turn. According to the witness, the airplane ran into the guy wire of a tower and then "twisted violently… and dropped straight down." AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONExamination of maintenance logbooks for the airplane did not reveal any anomalies or uncorrected defects. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATIONOne of the witnesses, who was driving in the vicinity, reported that he saw the airplane flying in the area, and that the weather conditions were clear. AIRPORT INFORMATIONExamination of maintenance logbooks for the airplane did not reveal any anomalies or uncorrected defects. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATIONThe aircraft wreckage was found in an open flat wheat field north of Enid, Oklahoma. It was located about 470 ft north of a 405-ft-tall transmission tower. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who initially responded to the accident scene, the tower company identified that the top 50
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to see and avoid a known obstacle (communications tower) during agricultural spraying operations.
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Browse: Oklahoma · 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.
