Air Tractor AT502 N879JA

Summary

On 16 June 2020 at about 12:30 local time, a Air Tractor AT502 registered N879JA was involved in an accident near Atmore, Alabama, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

16 June 2020 at 12:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Atmore, Alabama, United States

Coordinates

31.1014, -87.5389

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT502

Registration

N879JA

Category

Airplane

Year built

2013

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Atmore → Atmore

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA20LA217

1 person died.

The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack while maneuvering at low altitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall, spin, and loss of control.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot's spouse, he departed earlier on the morning of the accident to dispense two small “loads" of aerial application. On his return home, he called and asked her to come outside of their residence to watch the airplane fly over. She said that the airplane flew over the house before making a climb straight up. The airplane then banked to the left, rolled right, descended straight down, and she heard a loud "boom" shortly thereafter. Two witnesses who were fishing on a nearby lake saw the airplane flying below the tree line before it climbed straight up. They stated that the airplane rolled and descended straight down nose-first. They heard a "loud thud" and then silence. Examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that the pilot exceeded the airplane’s critical angle of attack while maneuvering at low altitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and spin and loss of control.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.