Air Tractor AT-402 N91660

Summary

On 7 May 1998 at about 12:06 local time, a Air Tractor AT-402 registered N91660 was involved in an accident near Forrest City, Arkansas, 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

7 May 1998 at 12:06

Classification

Accident

Location

Forrest City, Arkansas, United States

Coordinates

35.0106, -90.7805

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-402

Registration

N91660

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

FTW98LA205

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance with terrain. Factors were the sunglare and the pilot's restriction to visibility due to chemicals on the windshield.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The agricultural airplane impacted a levee while spraying herbicides on a rice field. According to the pilot, after completing 6 passes over the field, the drifting chemicals covered the windshield. The pilot stated that he used the airplane's window washer; however, the washer was ineffective in clearing the chemicals from the windshield. On the next pass, while travelling from west to east into the rising sun, the main landing gear of the airplane collided with a rice levee. The pilot added that the propeller was damaged and the landing gear was torn off by the impact. Subsequent to the propeller impact with the levee, the engine lost power and the airplane landed on a vacant field across the road from the field being sprayed, coming to rest in the upright position.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.