Air Tractor AT-402 N90PK

Summary

On 12 August 1997 at about 15:00 local time, a Air Tractor AT-402 registered N90PK was involved in an accident near Patterson, Louisiana, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 August 1997 at 15:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Patterson, Louisiana, United States

Coordinates

29.6903, -91.2999

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-402

Registration

N90PK

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW97LA311

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain terrain clearance.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the agricultural airplane had been flying under a power line with no difficulty on his previous spray runs in the sugar cane field. On this run, as he approached the field, the pilot realized the power line wire 'sagged lower than in the other places.' He considered climbing over the wire, but was not sure he would clear it, so he elected to continue under the wire. After passing under the wire, the airplane's main wheels contacted the sugar cane, and the airplane decelerated and impacted the ground.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.