Air Tractor AT-402 N402SK

Summary

On 25 April 2008 at about 14:00 local time, a Air Tractor AT-402 registered N402SK was involved in an accident near Carlsbad, New Mexico, 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

25 April 2008 at 14:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Carlsbad, New Mexico, United States

Nearest airport

Seven Rivers Airport (62NM)

Coordinates

32.5925, -104.4222

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-402

Registration

N402SK

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Carlsbad → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DFW08CA116

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's improper decision to takeoff uphill with full fuel and fuel chemical load. A factor was the pilot's failure to calculate performance data.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The 15,600 hour commercial rated pilot was initiating the first aerial application flight of the day and decided to make the takeoff with a full fuel load and full hopper of chemicals on an upslope runway. The airplane was not able to establish an initial climb and began to settle back to the ground. The pilot attempted to dump the chemical load, but was unsuccessful and the airplane impacted the ground and cart wheeled, coming to rest in the upright position. The pilot was not injured and was able to exit the aircraft unassisted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, landing gear, engine case, propellers, and empennage. Weather reported at the time of the accident was winds 340 degrees at 23 knots gusting to 28 knots.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.