Air Tractor AT 502B N946TR
30 November 2014 · Somerton, Arizona, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 30 November 2014 at about 08:15 local time, a Air Tractor AT 502B registered N946TR, operated by TRI Rotor LLC, was involved in an accident near Somerton, Arizona, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 08:15
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Somerton, Arizona, United States
- Nearest airport
- Tri-Rotor Private air strip (na)
- Coordinates
- 32.5564, -114.6900
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT 502B
- Registration
- N946TR
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 2014
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- TRI Rotor LLC
- Operating rule
- Part 137: Agricultural
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial Application
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Somerton → Somerton
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Night
- NTSB number
- WPR15LA048
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
A loss of airplane control for reasons that could not be determined based on available evidence.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The commercial pilot was performing a water calibration flight at the end of a day of agricultural application. After spraying the field with water, the airplane was scheduled to return to the airport. Another pilot flying in the area reported that he saw a flash, and, when he flew in the direction of the flash, he saw the accident airplane engulfed in flames. There were no witnesses to the accident, nor did the pilot communicate distress before the impact. No obstructions were observed in the vicinity of the accident site. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed damage consistent with a near-vertical impact with terrain and high forward impact forces. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation, and the reason for the loss of control was not determined.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Air Tractor AT-502B accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Apr 2014 | Air Tractor AT 502B | Garfield, Kansas, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 13 Jun 2014 | Air Tractor AT 502B | Princeton, California, United States | Michaud Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 23 Jun 2014 | Air Tractor AT 502B | Sacramento, California, United States | Farm Air Flying Service Inc | Minor injuries | - |
| 29 Jul 2014 | Air Tractor AT 502B | Minden, Nebraska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Aug 2014 | Air Tractor AT 502B | Colusa, Illinois, United States | Lindell Aerial AG Service | No injuries | - |
| 11 Jul 2014 | Air Tractor AT 502B | Cavalier, North Dakota, United States | Hinkle Aviation | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Jan 2014 | Piper PA 18-150 | Willcox, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jun 2014 | Adams DRAGONFLY | Mesa, Arizona, United States | Taigen Robert | No injuries | - |
| 1 Feb 2014 | Beechcraft V35A | Globe, Arizona, United States | Glen Yoder Realty | Minor injuries | - |
| 5 Nov 2014 | Beechcraft A35 | Havasu City, Arizona, United States | Buffaloe Thomas N | No injuries | - |
| 9 Sep 2014 | Ayres S2R T34 | Buckeye, Arizona, United States | Farm AG Enterprises LLC | No injuries | - |
| 4 Feb 2014 | Piper PA 28-181 | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | TransPac Aviation Academy | Serious injuries | - |