Air Tractor AT-502 N290LA

Summary

On 18 June 2023 at about 19:30 local time, a Air Tractor AT-502 registered N290LA, operated by Ascend AG Inc, was involved in an accident near Sturgis, South Dakota, 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

18 June 2023 at 19:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Sturgis, South Dakota, United States

Nearest airport

Sturgis Muni (49B)

Coordinates

44.4182, -103.3758

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-502

Registration

N290LA

Category

Airplane

Year built

2018

Engines

1

Operator

Ascend AG Inc

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN23LA244

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s improper timing to initiate beta mode with the propeller and his failure to maintain directional during the full load landing that resulted in a runway excursion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of recent experience with performing a full load landing and the high-density altitude that likely affected aircraft performance during the landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported he departed in the airplane with about 660 lbs of fuel and about 3,500 lbs of liquid chemical for application to a pasture. After arriving at the pasture, the chemical dispersal system was malfunctioning, and the pilot decided to return to the airport. During the landing to the first quarter of the runway, the airplane was about 125 mph, with “half flap” applied, and the tailwheel was locked. As the tailwheel touched down on the dry concrete runway, the pilot initiated beta mode with the propeller, and the airplane “started veering to the right.” The pilot assessed that he “reversed the propeller too aggressively and too soon.” The airplane departed the runway to the right, the left main landing gear separated after impacting a ditch, and the airplane came to rest upright on a grass field. The pilot was able to egress from the airplane without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and the left wing. The operator reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation. A postaccident examination of the chemical dispersal system found foreign object debris that was likely blocking the flow of the chemical. Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 Agricultural Aircraft Operations does not contain full load landing training and recurrency requirements. The pilot reported the last time he performed a full load landing was about 2 years prior. The estimated density altitude for the airport was 6,101 ft.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.