N970FA – Air Tractor AT-504 – 2020-02-08 NTSB Accident Report

On February 08, 2020, a Air Tractor AT-504 (N970FA) was involved in an incident near Fort Morgan, CO. All 2 people 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 improper landing flare, which resulted in a bounced landing, and his subsequent failure to maintain directional control, which resulted in the left main landing gear tire bursting and the tailwheel assembly failing.

Both pilot's onboard the airplane reported that the purpose of the flight was to familiarize the pilot in the left seat with the airplane, of which he was appropriately rated yet had never flown. According to the pilot on the controls in the left seat, the tailwheel-equipped airplane bounced during landing on the asphalt runway. During the landing roll, the airplane veered to the left and he overcorrected to the right, followed by an overcorrection to the left. He applied heavy braking and the airplane turned 120° to the right and exited the right side of the runway. The left main landing gear tire deflated, and the wheel dug into the dirt surface. The airplane bounced, and the tailwheel-assembly failed and dug into the soft surface.

This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN20CA079. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N970FA.