Air Tractor AT602 N602NY

Summary

On 27 May 2021 at about 23:06 local time, a Air Tractor AT602 registered N602NY, operated by PMZ Flying Service, was involved in an accident near Trumann, 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

27 May 2021 at 23:06

Classification

Accident

Location

Trumann, Arkansas, United States

Nearest airport

McCormick (PVT)

Coordinates

35.6015, -90.5909

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT602

Registration

N602NY

Category

Airplane

Year built

2014

Engines

1

Operator

PMZ Flying Service

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN21LA240

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to review the weather conditions before the flight, which resulted in a loss of directional control during takeoff due to a sudden change in wind direction and speed associated with an approaching thunderstorm.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that the agricultural airplane was on takeoff roll when a sudden wind gust caused the airplane to swerve left. He was unable to regain directional control of the airplane before it departed the left side of the runway, through a drainage ditch, and into a cornfield. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, aft fuselage, empennage, and the engine mounts. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Earlier in the day, the pilot had reviewed the local forecast on the National Weather Service website, which stated that there was a chance of thunderstorms later in the afternoon. He also reviewed the weather conditions periodically throughout the day using a weather application on his mobile phone/tablet, but the last time he had reviewed the weather application was about 15 minutes before the accident, at which time he did not observe any thunderstorms in the local area. The pilot did not review any weather data before the accident flight. According to weather radar data, a significant thunderstorm was approaching the airstrip from the southwest in the minutes preceding the accident and was over the airstrip about 5 minutes after the accident. The pilot’s inability to maintain directional control during the takeoff was likely due to a sudden change in wind direction and speed associated with the approaching thunderstorm.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.