Summary
On September 08, 2019, a Air Tractor AT 602 (N602SS) was involved in an accident near Turkey, TX. The accident resulted in 1 minor injury, with 1 person uninjured out of 2 aboard. 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 adequate airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during a low pass, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain.
The pilot reported, that while maneuvering at a low altitude in an aerial applicator airplane, he dumped about 350 gallons of pink water for a gender reveal. The airplane "got too slow", aerodynamically stalled, impacted terrain, and came to rest inverted.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, right wing, and empennage.
The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
The Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported that the accident occurred during a low pass for a gender reveal celebration. He added that there were two persons on board the single seat airplane.
This accident is documented in NTSB report GAA19CA535. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N602SS.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during a low pass, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The pilot reported, that while maneuvering at a low altitude in an aerial applicator airplane, he dumped about 350 gallons of pink water for a gender reveal. The airplane "got too slow", aerodynamically stalled, impacted terrain, and came to rest inverted.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, right wing, and empennage.
The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
The Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported that the accident occurred during a low pass for a gender reveal celebration. He added that there were two persons on board the single seat airplane.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# GAA19CA535