Air Tractor AT-602 N602AA

Summary

On 21 July 2023 at about 16:30 local time, a Air Tractor AT-602 registered N602AA, operated by Dickson Shannon, was involved in an accident near Plains, Kansas, 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

21 July 2023 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Plains, Kansas, United States

Nearest airport

Private Airstrip (00)

Coordinates

37.2669, -100.5837

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-602

Registration

N602AA

Category

Airplane

Year built

2010

Engines

1

Operator

Dickson Shannon

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN23LA321

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain control during takeoff from a water-contaminated runway.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Prior to flight, the pilot noted that rain had made the turf airstrip too wet to conduct aerial application flights. The middle of the airstrip had standing water, but the edges of the runway had fewer areas of water. The pilot took off at a reduced weight, without an aerial load, to fly to another location. During the takeoff, the airplane contacted the water on the runway, and the pilot lost control. The airplane subsequently veered off the runway resulting in the wing’s spray booms getting entangled in high weeds. The airplane spun and came to rest. Substantial damage was sustained to the left wing and empennage.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.