N1500E – Air Tractor AT 402 – 2018-10-08 NTSB Accident Report

On October 08, 2018, a Air Tractor AT 402 (N1500E) was involved in an incident near Crowley, LA. 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 selection of unsuitable terrain for takeoff, which resulted in a collision with vegetation and a subsequent loss of directional control.

The pilot reported that he did not want to take off from the wet grass airstrip he normally used so he decided to takeoff from the asphalt road that parallels the grass on the left side of the airstrip. During the takeoff roll, the left wing collided with tall vegetation and the airplane veered left and exited the road. The airplane subsequently impacted a drainage culvert.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and the empennage.

The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

This incident is documented in NTSB report GAA19CA010. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N1500E.