Air Tractor AT-402B N5127T

Summary

On 17 August 2012 at about 14:00 local time, a Air Tractor AT-402B registered N5127T, operated by TIM Whitfield Aviation Inc, was involved in an accident near Gum Neck, North Carolina, 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

17 August 2012 at 14:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Gum Neck, North Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Private (NONE)

Coordinates

34.8094, -76.1856

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-402B

Registration

N5127T

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

TIM Whitfield Aviation Inc

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Gum Neck → Gum Neck

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA12CA517

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during the takeoff roll. Contributing to the accident was the rough condition of the runway.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he was taking off from an 80-foot-wide, rough grass airstrip to conduct an aerial application flight. During the takeoff roll, the airplane began to bounce and drift to the right. The airplane’s right wing contacted the adjacent corn crop, and the airplane veered further right into the corn field, where it nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot stated that he did not experience any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.