Air Tractor Inc AT-602 N91331 accident near Clarksdale, Mississippi

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during a low-level, high angle-of-bank turn, which resulted in an exceedance of the critical angle of attack and a subsequent accelerated stall.

NTSB analysis

During an aerial application flight, the pilot initiated a low-level right turn to reverse course. A witness saw the airplane's bank angle increase to vertical, and the airplane subsequently descended into the ground. Examination of the accident site indicated a relatively straight-line impact path with the airplane's right wing tip hitting first followed by the nose. Examination of the wreckage revealed no preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation; the engine was under power at impact, and the propeller was in the normal operating (not feathered) range. In addition, an autopsy of the pilot did not note any pertinent preexisting medical conditions. The airplane's high angle-of-bank turn, its subsequent descent to ground impact, and the resultant wreckage path were consistent with an accelerated stall.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA14FA322 for the full record.