Air Tractor AT-502B N50075

Summary

On 8 July 2022 at about 19:30 local time, a Air Tractor AT-502B registered N50075, operated by Bank of Utah Trustee, was involved in an accident near Center Cross, Virginia, 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

8 July 2022 at 19:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Center Cross, Virginia, United States

Coordinates

37.7956, -76.7838

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-502B

Registration

N50075

Category

Airplane

Year built

1998

Engines

1

Operator

Bank of Utah Trustee

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tappahannock → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA22LA302

Nobody was injured.

A loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that the airplane was fueled before beginning the agricultural application flight. About an hour into the flight, the pilot was climbing the airplane following a spray pass when he heard a “bang” and the engine lost power about 350 ft above ground level (agl). The pilot maneuvered the airplane for a forced landing and stated that the airplane touched down with too much speed. It subsequently bounced and continued into trees, resulting in substantial damage to the airframe. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed that there was fuel on board, and examination of the engine did not reveal evidence of any mechanical anomalies that would preclude normal operation. The power turbine blade displayed some rubbing indicative of rotation of the power section at the time of impact; however, the rubbing damage was limited and was consistent with low or reduced power. The reason for the loss of power could not be determined based on the available information.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.