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Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

NTSB Reports is an independent research and search tool for public aviation accident and incident records. It brings NTSB aviation reports, structured fields, docket files, extracted figures, photos, videos, and update history into one searchable interface.

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August 21, 2020 · Air Tractor AT802 A · N759FA

Dell, AR

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
August 21, 2020
Injury Outcomes
1 injury (1 fatality)
Location
Dell, AR
Aircraft
Air Tractor AT802 A (2018)
Tail Number
N759FA
Operator
Tesk Aviation
Injuries
Fatal
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
CEN20LA357

The pilot departed on his fourth agricultural flight of the day to apply a fungicide agent to the crop. Two witnesses, who saw the airplane during the flight, indicated that the airplane made a steep turn, then lost altitude. Postaccident examination of the accident site revealed, the airplane impacted terrain in a steep attitude. The front of the airplane was heavily damaged, the wings were accordioned-crushed along the wingspan, and the engine was embedded in the ground. Examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any preimpact abnormalities that would have contributed to the accident. Nonvolatile memory was successfully downloaded from the airplane’s engine monitor. A review of the data noted that the accident flight was the 630th session and that no anomalies in the engine parameters were recorded before the end of the recording. The accident is consistent with an aerodynamic stall following a loss of airspeed while the pilot maneuvered at low altitude.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering at low altitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and collision with terrain.

Full Narrative

On August 21, 2020, about 1430 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-802A airplane, N759FA, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Del, Arkansas. The pilot was fatally injured. The flight was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight. The accident flight was to apply a fungicide agent to the crop, and the pilot had performed three flights earlier in the day, before the accident flight. Two witnesses who saw the airplane during the flight indicated that the airplane made a steep turn, then lost altitude. A technical representative from the airframe manufacturer and a Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane on site. The airplane impacted terrain in a nose-down attitude. The front of the airplane was heavily damaged, the wings were accordioned-crushed along the wingspan, and the engine was embedded in the ground. An on-site examination of the airframe did not identify any preimpact abnormities that would have contributed to the accident. A Satloc GPS was downloaded, and a portable Garmin Aera 660 GPS and an Electronics International MVP-50T engine monitor were sent to the National Transportation Safety Board’s Vehicle Recorder lab for download. The Garmin 660 GPS had impact damage and no data were recovered from the unit. Nonvolatile memory was successfully downloaded from the MVP-50T engine monitor. A review of the data noted that the accident flight was the 630th session, which started recording at 1310:13.00 CDT and ended at 1434:45.00 CDT on August 21, 2020. Review of the data also noted no sudden or change in engine parameters before the end of the recording.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time14:30 CDT
Nearest Airport0nm
Flight Plan FiledNone
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftAir Tractor AT802 A
Tail NumberN759FA
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
OperatorTesk Aviation
Operating RulePart 137
Engines1
Engine TypeTurboprop
Engine DetailsP&W · PT6A-65AG · Turboprop
Seats1

People & Injuries

Injury Summary1 injury (1 fatality)
Fatal1
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured0
Total1
Crew 1Age 55 · Second Class · Fatal

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind60° @ 7 kt
Visibility10 sm
CeilingBroken clouds 3700 ft
Temperature / Dew Point64 F
Altimeter29.89 inHg
Observation Time19:58
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data