Air Tractor AT-502B N648LA
6 March 2009 · Harrold, South Dakota, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 6 March 2009 at about 17:25 local time, a Air Tractor AT-502B registered N648LA was involved in an accident near Harrold, South Dakota, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 17:25
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Harrold, South Dakota, United States
- Nearest airport
- Harrold (5G3)
- Coordinates
- 44.5222, -99.7389
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-502B
- Registration
- N648LA
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Other Work Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Tea → Harrold
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN09CA194
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the power lines during his turn to reverse course due to weather. Contributing to the accident was the reduced visibility at the time of the accident.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot stated that he had been established in cruise flight at 4,500 feet mean sea level for the approximately 45-minute cross-country flight. As he neared the destination airport, he descended to about 100 feet above ground level (agl) in order to view some winter wheat fields for the upcoming agricultural spraying season. As he leveled off, he observed increasing fog along his route of flight. He began a 180-degree turn to reverse course and intended to divert to an intermediate airport when the airplane impacted a high-tension power line. The airplane severed one of the lines and subsequently impacted an adjacent farm field. The pilot reported no failures or malfunctions associated with the airplane prior to the collision with the power line. The pilot report weather conditions at the time of the accident as an obscured ceiling about 800 feet agl, with 2 miles visibility in fog. Winds were light and variable, and there was no precipitation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Air Tractor AT-502B accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Jul 2009 | Air Tractor AT-502B | Reydell, Arkansas, United States | Bear Bayou AG Service | No injuries | - |
| 17 Aug 2009 | Air Tractor AT-502B | Whittemore, Iowa, United States | Dennis Meyer | No injuries | - |
| 15 May 2008 | Air Tractor AT-502B | Wheatley, Arkansas, United States | Rice AG Service | Fatal | 1 |
| 28 Jul 2010 | Air Tractor AT-502B | Zwingle, Iowa, United States | Klinkenborg Aerial Spraying & Seeding Inc | Minor injuries | - |
| 24 Jun 2008 | Air Tractor AT-502B | Bethany, Missouri, United States | Midwest Spray Service | No injuries | - |
| 13 Aug 2008 | Air Tractor AT-502B | Tunica, Mississippi, United States | Delta Dusters Inc. | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Mar 2009 | Cessna 402B | Aberdeen, South Dakota, United States | Business Aviation Courier, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jun 2009 | Piper PA-36-285 | Clark, South Dakota, United States | Douglas M. Hansen | No injuries | - |
| 15 Jun 2009 | Beechcraft B100 | Rapid City, South Dakota, United States | Air Methods Corporation | Serious injuries | - |
| 13 May 2009 | Flight CT2K | Mitchell, South Dakota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 31 Jul 2009 | Cessna 182A | Watertown, South Dakota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Sep 2009 | Piper J3C-65 | Spearfish, South Dakota, United States | - | No injuries | - |