Air Tractor AT 502 N9184T

Summary

On 16 June 2014 at about 16:30 local time, a Air Tractor AT 502 registered N9184T, operated by Simpson Air Inc, was involved in an accident near Dell, Arkansas, 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.

Date

16 June 2014 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Dell, Arkansas, United States

Coordinates

35.7967, -90.0839

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT 502

Registration

N9184T

Category

Airplane

Year built

1992

Engines

1

Operator

Simpson Air Inc

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Dell → Dell

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN14LA299

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot’s failure to establish a proper airspeed during takeoff with the airplane near its maximum gross weight in high-density altitude and gusting crosswind conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that on the last flight of the day, the airplane's hopper was almost completely loaded with dry fertilizer material before takeoff and that its takeoff weight was 7,918.83 lbs; the airplane's maximum gross weight was 8,000 lbs. After the fertilizer was loaded, the pilot attempted to depart to the west. During takeoff, the engine was operating at 2,200 rpm (high power), and the airplane got "onto the step," but it did not lift off as expected, so the pilot hit the emergency load dump. The airplane still would not climb, and it subsequently collided with an embankment at the end of the runway, cartwheeled into a field, and then came to rest upright. The pilot reported that he did not notice a change in the engine sound and was confident that the flight controls did not malfunction. The local weather was wind from 170 degrees at 8 knots gusting to 15 knots, and the density altitude was calculated to be 2,377 feet. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Based on the available evidence, it is likely that the pilot rotated the airplane early. It is also likely that the combined effects of the airplane's near maximum gross weight, the high-density altitude, and the gusting crosswind conditions contributed to the airplane's sluggishness when climbing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.