Air Tractor AT 502 N144HF

Summary

On 4 May 2017 at about 19:00 local time, a Air Tractor AT 502 registered N144HF, operated by Plains Aerial Applications, was involved in an accident near Tahoka, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 May 2017 at 19:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Tahoka, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

T-Bar Airport (2F4)

Coordinates

33.1811, -101.8194

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT 502

Registration

N144HF

Category

Airplane

Year built

1989

Engines

1

Operator

Plains Aerial Applications

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tahoka → Tahoka

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN17LA190

1 person had minor injuries.

The partial loss of engine power during takeoff for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot of the aerial application flight reported that he had flown several flights in the morning and the airplane was operating normally. Before the final flight of the day, while the airplane was being loaded with product, he heard a noise, but all engine gauges appeared normal. He taxied down the runway and took off. About 30 ft above the ground, the airplane started making more noise and the engine was surging. The pilot attempted to add more power, but the engine did not respond. As the pilot was about to dump the chemical load, the airplane veered to the left and impacted the ground. After the pilot exited the airplane, a postcrash fire ensued. Detailed examination of the engine was not possible due to the severe fire damage.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.