N9148C – AIR TRACTOR INC AT-502B – 2012-03-07 NTSB Accident Report

On March 07, 2012, a Air Tractor INC AT-502B (N9148C) was involved in an incident near Hollandale, MS. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control while taxiing in gusty wind conditions.

While back-taxiing the tail wheel-equipped agricultural application airplane for takeoff, the pilot reported that he encountered a gust of left quartering tailwind and was "unable to maintain directional control" of the airplane. The airplane veered left and departed the left side of the runway. The tail wheel block attaching bolts subsequently failed and the tail wheel spring then impacted the ground, stopping the airplane's lateral rotation, and shearing all four of the longerons just forward of the vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

This incident is documented in NTSB report ERA12CA216. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N9148C.