Air Tractor AT-602 N602GH

Summary

On 3 July 2022 at about 00:33 local time, a Air Tractor AT-602 registered N602GH, operated by Gemtrek LLC, was involved in an accident near Lind, Washington, 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

3 July 2022 at 00:33

Classification

Accident

Location

Lind, Washington, United States

Coordinates

46.9588, -118.8206

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-602

Registration

N602GH

Category

Airplane

Year built

1996

Engines

1

Operator

Gemtrek LLC

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Warden → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR22FA239

1 person died.

The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during a steep turn, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at an altitude too low for recovery.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was conducting an aerial application flight. Surveillance video footage showed that the airplane entered a steep right turn from a straight and level attitude consistent with a course reversal. Shortly thereafter, the airplane entered a steep, nose-down, right-wing-low descent. The airplane subsequently impacted terrain in a nearly flat, upright attitude. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any mechanical failures that would have precluded normal operation. Flight control continuity was confirmed from the cockpit to all corresponding flight control surfaces. Contact signatures and fractured surfaces from internal components of the engine were consistent with the engine developing power at a high range at the time of impact. Based on the available information, it is likely that the pilot exceeded the airplane’s critical angle of attack during the turn and the airplane entered an aerodynamic stall at an altitude too low for recovery.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.