Air Tractor AT-602 N8508P accident near Wheatley, Arkansas

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.

NTSB analysis

A witness reported that the commercial pilot departed on the agricultural application flight to spray a 40-acre field about 5 miles from the airport. He reported that the pilot had loaded the airplane with 400 gallons of chemical before the flight and that the airplane's fuel tanks were full. There were no witnesses to the accident. The wreckage was found in a wooded area between two open fields about 1/3 mile west of the application field. Examination of the accident site indicated that the airplane impacted the top of a berm in an approximate wings-level attitude. Flight control continuity could not be established from the flight controls to their respective attach points on the flight control surfaces due to impact and fire damage; however, all control separations were consistent with overload failure or fire damage. Examination of the engine and propeller revealed characteristics consistent with significant engine power at the time of impact. Examination revealed no anomalies and that would have precluded normal operation of the airframe or engine.

The airplane's wings-level impact attitude is not consistent with a loss of control, and there was no indication of a wire or tree strike either in the wreckage or in the area surrounding the accident site. Toxicology testing and autopsy of the pilot revealed no evidence of physiological impairment or incapacitation; therefore, the reason the pilot did not maintain clearance from terrain could not be determined.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN18FA263 for the full record.