Summary
On May 16, 2007, a Air Tractor AT-402A (N120CP) was involved in an accident near Edmonson, TX. The accident resulted in 1 minor injury. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the crops.
The 16,000-hour commercial pilot allowed the turbine powered agricultural airplane to get too low over the wheat field he was spraying. The landing gear or the airplane became entangled in the wheat crop and the airplane decelerated abruptly. The airplane nose-over and came to rest in the inverted position. There was no fire and the pilot was able to egress from the airplane unassisted. The pilot stated on the NTSB Form 6120.1 (Pilot/Operator Accident/Incident Report) that he allowed the aircraft to get too low and was unable to recover. An on scene investigation performed by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector determined that there was no mechanical problems. The pilot confirmed the same finding. The airplane sustained structural damage to the fuselage and wings.
This accident is documented in NTSB report DFW07CA114. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N120CP.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the crops.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The 16,000-hour commercial pilot allowed the turbine powered agricultural airplane to get too low over the wheat field he was spraying. The landing gear or the airplane became entangled in the wheat crop and the airplane decelerated abruptly. The airplane nose-over and came to rest in the inverted position. There was no fire and the pilot was able to egress from the airplane unassisted. The pilot stated on the NTSB Form 6120.1 (Pilot/Operator Accident/Incident Report) that he allowed the aircraft to get too low and was unable to recover. An on scene investigation performed by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector determined that there was no mechanical problems. The pilot confirmed the same finding. The airplane sustained structural damage to the fuselage and wings. Weather at the time of the mishap was reported as wind from 110 degrees at 5 knots, visibility of 10 statute miles, temperature 12 degrees Celsius, dew point 8 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 30.37 inches of Mercury.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# DFW07CA114