Air Tractor AT 502B N8525G

Summary

On 27 October 2016 at about 17:35 local time, a Air Tractor AT 502B registered N8525G, operated by Krech Dakota Airspray Inc, was involved in an accident near Hereford, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

27 October 2016 at 17:35

Classification

Accident

Location

Hereford, Texas, United States

Coordinates

34.7875, -102.3881

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT 502B

Registration

N8525G

Category

Airplane

Year built

2005

Engines

1

Operator

Krech Dakota Airspray Inc

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hereford → Hereford

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN17LA027

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a cotton crop while maneuvering during agricultural application operations, which resulted in a loss of airplane control.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airline transport pilot was conducting an agricultural application flight. The pilot stated that, while making a right turn and flying the airplane in a circular swath to "trim-up" on the outside edges of a center-pivot irrigated field, the right wingtip "got too far into the cotton crop" and that he subsequently lost airplane control. The airplane then impacted terrain, cartwheeled, and came to rest upright. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, both wing spars, and all flight control surfaces. The accident is consistent with the pilot failing to maintain clearance from terrain while maneuvering during agricultural application operations.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.