Air Tractor Inc AT-602 accident near Lind, WA
On July 3, 2022, an Air Tractor Inc AT-602 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Lind, WA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- July 3, 2022
- Place
- Lind, WA
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor Inc AT-602 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 46.959°N, 118.821°W
- NTSB ID
- 20220703105411
Official records · WPR22FA239
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
On July 2, 2022, about 1733 Pacific daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-602, N602GH, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Lind, Washington. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight. According to a witness, about 1717, the pilot departed his hangar after refueling and re-loading the hopper for an aerial application flight. GPS data revealed that the pilot was applying pesticide in a west-to-east racetrack pattern (figure 1). While maneuvering at a low altitude over an open field, about 1733, the airplane impacted terrain. Figure 1. GPS data plot of aerial application accident flight Surveillance video footage from a building about 1 nautical mile southwest of the accident site showed that the airplane was flying wings level and transitioned into a steep right turn. About seven seconds later, the airplane entered a nose-down, right--wing-low descent and then disappeared behind a knoll. Shortly after, a plume of dust appears in the video. The airplane impacted a dirt field about 4.5 nautical miles east of the hangar at an elevation of about 1,883 ft mean sea level. The wreckage debris path was about 190 ft long and oriented on a magnetic heading of about 155°. The airplane came to rest upright after it slid upslope (figure 2). Figure 2. View of accident airplane in an open field. The first point of impact was identified as an impression in the ground consistent with the left tire, followed by the left wing and belly of the airplane. The impression contained t
Probable cause
The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during a steep turn, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at an altitude too low for recovery.
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Browse: Washington · 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.
