Air Tractor 502B N6088K

Summary

On 15 June 2021 at about 21:32 local time, a Air Tractor 502B registered N6088K, operated by Scott Flying Service, was involved in an accident near Paragould, Arkansas, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 June 2021 at 21:32

Classification

Accident

Location

Paragould, Arkansas, United States

Coordinates

36.1039, -90.7146

Aircraft

Air Tractor 502B

Registration

N6088K

Category

Airplane

Year built

1995

Engines

1

Operator

Scott Flying Service

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN21FA270

1 person died.

An inflight loss of control and subsequent impact with terrain during an aerial application flight for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

A witness reported that he observed the airplane about 1 mile away flying directly toward him. He stated that it appeared to be straight and level, about treetop height. Without warning, he observed a small puff of white smoke; the airplane immediately nosed down and impacted the ground. A post-crash fire ensued. The witness did not hear any abnormal noises with the airplane or engine, nor did he observe any wildlife in the area. He stated that “everything appeared normal until it wasn’t.” The airplane came to rest upright on the edge of a field. The nose of the airplane was embedded into the dirt at about a 45° angle and only one propeller blade was visible. The forward fuselage, cockpit, inboard right and left wings, and the aft fuselage exhibited extensive thermal damage. A postaccident airframe and engine examination did not reveal any anomalies with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operations. The engine displayed signatures of rotation, and control continuity was established throughout. Another pilot reported that, on the day of the accident, he was working with the accident pilot from the same grass strip. Throughout the day they dispersed about 28 loads of fertilizer; the accident pilot did not report any anomalies with the airplane during these flights.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.