Air Tractor AT-502 N1519U

Summary

On 27 April 2008 at about 15:30 local time, a Air Tractor AT-502 registered N1519U was involved in an accident near Waitsburg, Washington, 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

27 April 2008 at 15:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Waitsburg, Washington, United States

Coordinates

46.2917, -118.0833

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-502

Registration

N1519U

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Waitsburg → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA08CA113

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the terrain while maneuvering at low altitude. Contributing to the accident was the rising terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After arriving at the steep hillside field to which he was going to apply chemicals, the pilot maneuvered at low level over the field in an attempt to determine the best pattern to fly to accomplish the job. During that process he inadvertently allowed the airplane to get into a position from which it was not able to climb over the rising terrain. Although he dumped his chemical load and leveled the airplanes wings, the airplane impacted the terrain about 75 feet below the top of a ridge.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.