Air Tractor AT 602 N2602M

Summary

On 9 June 2019 at about 16:00 local time, a Air Tractor AT 602 registered N2602M was involved in an accident near La Ward, Texas, 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

9 June 2019 at 16:00

Classification

Accident

Location

La Ward, Texas, United States

Coordinates

28.7306, -96.4536

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT 602

Registration

N2602M

Category

Airplane

Year built

2002

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

La Ward → La Ward

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA19CA354

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a wire during an aerial application flight in sun glare conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, during an agricultural application flight, while the airplane was between about 15 and 40 ft above ground level and traveling westward with the sun in his eyes, the rudder struck a wire and separated. The pilot subsequently landed the airplane without further incident. The pilot added that he thought the airplane had already cleared the wire when the collision occurred. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.