Air Tractor AT-602 N216TA

Summary

On 23 May 2025 at about 19:35 local time, a Air Tractor AT-602 registered N216TA, operated by Tailwinds Air Inc, was involved in an accident near Goudeau, Louisiana, 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

23 May 2025 at 19:35

Classification

Accident

Location

Goudeau, Louisiana, United States

Nearest airport

Private (PVT)

Coordinates

30.8719, -92.0143

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-602

Registration

N216TA

Category

Airplane

Year built

2013

Engines

1

Operator

Tailwinds Air 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

CEN25LA187

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s inadvertent encounter with soft terrain conditions during the landing which resulted in a loss of directional and a subsequent nose-over.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that during the landing on a dry grass airstrip, the airplane encountered a soft terrain area on the runway. The airplane was then pulled into a softer area toward the edge of the runway where it nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing leading edge and ribs and the vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot further reported that the accident could have been prevented by refraining from operating on airstrips with soft runways.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.