Air Tractor AT402 N4540F

Summary

On 2 October 2020 at about 12:30 local time, a Air Tractor AT402 registered N4540F, operated by Over The Top Aviation Inc., was involved in an accident near Egypt, Arkansas, 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

2 October 2020 at 12:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Egypt, Arkansas, United States

Nearest airport

Over the Top Aviation (9AR9)

Coordinates

35.9360, -90.9278

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT402

Registration

N4540F

Category

Airplane

Year built

1990

Engines

1

Operator

Over The Top Aviation Inc.

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cash → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN21LA005

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a tree limb during a low-level aerial application flight.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was flying an aerial application pass to a rice field when the right wing struck a tree limb at the edge of the field. After the collision, the airplane was “descending slowly and trying to roll.” He executed a forced landing to an open field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. 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.