Air Tractor AT 402B N402TR

Summary

On 2 October 2013 at about 04:30 local time, a Air Tractor AT 402B registered N402TR, operated by TRI Rotor Spray and Chemical Inc, was involved in an accident near Wellton, Arizona, 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

2 October 2013 at 04:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Wellton, Arizona, United States

Coordinates

32.7200, -114.2875

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT 402B

Registration

N402TR

Category

Airplane

Year built

2009

Engines

1

Operator

TRI Rotor Spray and Chemical Inc

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Somerton → Wellton

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

WPR14CA003

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s distracted attention and failure to maintain sufficient altitude to clear terrain while maneuvering in dark night conditions.

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 reading a map in an effort to identify the correct field to spray while maneuvering at low altitude in dark night conditions. While maneuvering in a turn the pilot did not realize the airplane was descending and subsequently collided with terrain. The wings and fuselage were substantially damaged. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.