Summary
On July 29, 2009, a Air Tractor AT502 (N502AJ) was involved in an accident near Dundee, MS. 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 aircraft control during takeoff.
The pilot was departing to the north, from a private concrete airstrip, for the purpose of conducting an agricultural application flight. The airplane was loaded with 400 gallons of fungicide, and contained 110 gallons of fuel on board. Shortly after becoming airborne, the airplane began to settle back toward the runway. The pilot attempted to dump the fungicide; however, the airplane settled into a soybean field and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage, fuselage, wings, and engine firewall. The pilot stated that he did not experience any mechanical malfunctions and examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any anomalies.
This accident is documented in NTSB report ERA09CA428. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N502AJ.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during takeoff.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The pilot was departing to the north, from a private concrete airstrip, for the purpose of conducting an agricultural application flight. The airplane was loaded with 400 gallons of fungicide, and contained 110 gallons of fuel on board. Shortly after becoming airborne, the airplane began to settle back toward the runway. The pilot attempted to dump the fungicide; however, the airplane settled into a soybean field and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage, fuselage, wings, and engine firewall. The pilot stated that he did not experience any mechanical malfunctions and examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any anomalies. The nearest weather reporting station, located approximately 12 miles north of the accident site, reported winds from 170 degrees at 6 knots, and a temperature of 27 degrees Celsius, about the time of the accident.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA09CA428