Loss of Control in Flight · NTSB ERA10LA385
AIR TRACTOR INC AT-602 — Canton, MS
| Date | July 29, 2010 |
| Location | Canton, MS |
| Aircraft | AIR TRACTOR INC AT-602 |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Uncontrolled descent Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 49 |
| Pilot total time | 1,009 hrs · Experienced |
| Time in type | 54 hrs |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Incorrect action performance-Pilot - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Airspeed-Not attained/maintained - C
What happened
According to the operator, the pilot was practicing maneuvers in the agricultural application airplane to improve his skills. Several witnesses observed the airplane spiraling nose down just before it impacted the ground, consistent with it having entered an aerodynamic stall. One of the witnesses recalled hearing the airplane's engine running during the accident sequence. No mechanical anomalies were noted during the postaccident examination of the airplane; however, the airplane was severely damaged due to the severe impact forces and post-crash fire. An annual inspection was completed on the airplane and engine 4 months prior to the accident, with no anomalies noted. Postaccident toxicological testing and autopsy findings revealed no evidence of a medical anomaly and no evidence of drugs or alcohol in the pilot's system. The pilot had been flying the airplane for about 1 month prior to the accident and had accumulated 54 hours of flight experience during that time.