Air Tractor AT-402 N9185K
30 June 2024 · Helm, Mississippi, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 30 June 2024 at about 15:30 local time, a Air Tractor AT-402 registered N9185K, operated by Love Aero LLC, was involved in an accident near Helm, Mississippi, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 15:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Helm, Mississippi, United States
- Nearest airport
- Pvt (PVT)
- Coordinates
- 33.4977, -90.8605
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-402
- Registration
- N9185K
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1993
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Love Aero LLC
- Operating rule
- Part 137: Agricultural
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial Application
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Helm → Helm
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN24LA246
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain control, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot stated that while on takeoff from a 2,200 ft partial concrete and grass private runway, the airplane failed to lift off due to density altitude. He initiated a controlled dump of the hopper load near the end of the runway to increase climb performance. The pilot stated that the airplane then stalled and impacted terrain off the departure end of the private strip, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations. The accident occurred after the pilot had conducted several agricultural spray applications with 350 gallon loads. He stated that temperature had reached 96°F and he should have carried a smaller load since conditions were not favorable. At the time of the accident density altitude had increased to about 2,530 ft.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Air Tractor AT-402 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Jun 2024 | Air Tractor AT-402 | Perryton, Texas, United States | Wood Flying, Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 20 Sep 2020 | Air Tractor AT 402 | Somerton, Arizona, United States | Tri-Rotor Spray & Chemical | No injuries | - |
| 8 Oct 2018 | Air Tractor AT 402 | Crowley, Louisiana, United States | Leleuxs Flying Service Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 19 May 2018 | Air Tractor AT 402 | Nicolaus, California, United States | Arena Pesticide Management Inc | No injuries | - |
| 2 Aug 2017 | Air Tractor AT 402 | San Angelo, Texas, United States | Usda/Ars | No injuries | - |
| 29 Jul 2016 | Air Tractor AT 402 | Sac City, Iowa, United States | Watson Ag Aviation LLC | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Feb 2024 | Robinson R44 II | Tupelo, Mississippi, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Feb 2024 | Cessna 182P | Charleston, Mississippi, United States | Norwoods Air, LLC | Serious injuries | - |
| 13 Jun 2024 | Piper PA-34-200T | Eaglesnest, Mississippi, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Sep 2024 | Just HIGHLANDER | Clarksdale, Mississippi, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Sep 2024 | Cessna 172M | Ackerman, Mississippi, United States | Bishop Services LLC | No injuries | - |
| 31 Jul 2024 | Bellanca 8GCBC | Cleveland, Mississippi, United States | Goff Bayou LLC | No injuries | - |