ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 191173
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Saturday 5 November 2016 |
| Time: | 10:00 |
| Type: |  Air Tractor AT-502 |
| Owner/operator: | Spray Tech Aviation Pty Ltd |
| Registration: | VH-LIK |
| MSN: | 502-0115 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Cryon, 50km east of Walgett, NSW -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Agricultural |
| Departure airport: | |
| Investigating agency: | ATSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On 5 November 2016, the pilot of an Air Tractor AT-502 aircraft, registered VH-LIK, was conducting aerial spraying operations from an airstrip at Cryon, New South Wales. After completing six spray loads, the pilot loaded liquid chemical into the aircraft’s hopper and refuelled the aircraft. At 0953 Eastern Daylight-saving Time, the pilot commenced a take-off to the north.
About 44 seconds after commencing the take-off, the aircraft collided with trees and the ground before coming to rest inverted. The pilot was fatally injured and the aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a fuel-fed fire.
What the ATSB found
The flaps were retracted at some point during the take-off, which significantly degraded the take‑off and climb performance. This effect was compounded by the estimated weight of the aircraft, the local temperature and wind conditions at the time of the flight. The combined effect probably resulted in the aircraft having insufficient take-off performance. The reason the flaps were retracted was not able to be determined.
The aircraft reached a height above the ground where the reduced benefit of ground effect further degraded the aircraft’s performance. The low height and airspeed precluded the pilot from turning the aircraft towards a clear area and the aircraft descended into trees.
Recorded data from the aircraft indicated that the pilot attempted to dump the hopper contents after becoming airborne, which would have achieved significant gains in climb performance, however a complete dump was not achieved. The reason for this could not be determined.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.9news.com.au/national/2016/11/05/14/17/man-dies-in-plane-crash-in-northern-nsw
https://www.miragenews.com/man-dies-after-plane-crashes-near-walgett-nsw/
ATSB Final Report : https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2016/aair/ao-2016-146/
Images:
Photo: ATSB
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 05-Nov-2016 07:44 | gerard57 | Added |
| 05-Nov-2016 10:33 | Kardz | Updated [Registration, Cn, Location, Nature, Source] |
| 05-Nov-2016 10:34 | harro | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 05-Nov-2016 13:19 | Kardz | Updated [Operator, Narrative] |
| 05-Nov-2016 14:48 | harro | Updated [Location] |
| 05-Nov-2016 14:48 | harro | Updated [Source] |
| 20-Nov-2018 19:07 | Captain Adam | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 20-Nov-2018 19:25 | harro | Updated [Phase, Photo, Accident report, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation