Air Tractor AT-602 N602WR

Summary

On 22 July 2024 at about 22:30 local time, a Air Tractor AT-602 registered N602WR, operated by Bi-State Air Inc, was involved in an accident near Oxford, Indiana, 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

22 July 2024 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Oxford, Indiana, United States

Coordinates

40.4940, -87.2863

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-602

Registration

N602WR

Category

Airplane

Year built

2010

Engines

1

Operator

Bi-State Air Inc

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Attica → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN24FA278

1 person died.

The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack and failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering during an agricultural flight, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and a loss of control at too low of an altitude to recover. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s excessive flap extension during the turn.

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 when the accident occurred. The airplane’s GPS data indicated that the pilot was in the process of completing a trim pass at the south edge of the target field. Flight track data showed that the airplane entered a climbing left turn, likely to complete a trim pass on the north side of the field. The final data point recorded the airplane about 0.1 nm from the accident site. The airplane impacted the field inverted and in a nose-low attitude with no forward momentum, consistent with an aerodynamic stall/spin, which resulted in the airplane rolling inverted. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The flaps were found fully extended. The engine exhibited signatures consistent with producing power during impact. The propeller blades exhibited compound bend and twist progression from forward to aft in the sequence of rotation consistent with producing thrust at impact. The pilot’s cardiovascular disease increased his risk of experiencing a sudden impairing or incapacitating cardiac event, such as arrhythmia, chest pain, or heart attack. The autopsy report summary does not provide specific evidence that such an event occurred; however, such an event does not leave reliable autopsy evidence if it occurs shortly before death. Based on the available information, the pilot likely exceeded the airplane’s critical angle of attack during a steep turn with full flaps; the airplane then entered an aerodynamic stall at an altitude too low for recovery. The pilot’s decision to enter the steep turn with full flaps increased the likelihood of an aerodynamic stall.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.