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| Date: | Sunday 30 June 2024 |
| Time: | 10:30 LT |
| Type: |  Air Tractor AT-402 |
| Owner/operator: | Love Aero LLC |
| Registration: | N9185K |
| MSN: | 402-0908 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1993 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 15360 hours |
| Engine model: | Pratt & Whitney PT6 -15 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Helm, MS -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Agricultural |
| Departure airport: | Helm, MS (KPVT) |
| Helm, MS (KPVT) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot stated that while on takeoff from a 2,200 ft partial concrete and grass private runway, the airplane failed to lift off due to density altitude. He initiated a controlled dump of the hopper load near the end of the runway to increase climb performance. The pilot stated that the airplane then stalled and impacted terrain off the departure end of the private strip, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations.
The accident occurred after the pilot had conducted several agricultural spray applications with 350 gallon loads. He stated that temperature had reached 96°F and he should have carried a smaller load since conditions were not favorable. At the time of the accident density altitude had increased to about 2,530 ft.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain control, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB CEN24LA246
FAA register: https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=N9185K
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 10-Jul-2024 12:26 | Captain Adam | Added |
| 27-Oct-2024 20:40 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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