Pilot Debrief

AIR TRACTOR INC AT-502A near Clayton, LA — 2021-05-18

Final reportCEN21LA223
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Date
2021-05-18
Location
Clayton, LA, USA
Aircraft
AIR TRACTOR INC AT-502A
Registration
N887LA
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
1
Phase of flight
Maneuvering

Probable cause

The pilot’s loss of airplane control resulting in an aerodynamic stall while executing a steep turnaround during an aerial application flight.

NTSB narrative

On the day of the accident, the pilot had already completed several aerial application flights and was in the process of spraying product on a target field. Witnesses stated that the airplane had just completed a spray pass and was turning around. During the turn, the airplane pitched up and rolled left into a steep bank. One witness stated that it looked like the pilot, “didn’t pull out of a barrel roll.” The airplane “fell out of the sky” and impacted the ground inverted. Data extracted from the airplane’s GPS failed to record the last 30 seconds of the flight, likely as a result of a recording latency. Postaccident examination of the wreckage did not revealed any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the pilot failing to maintain airplane control while maneuvering in the turn at low altitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of control. Although toxicology testing detected diphenhydramine, a sedating antihistamine, in the pilot’s urine, operational evidence of any impairment is inconclusive. Therefore, whether the pilot’s use of diphenhydramine contributed to the accident could not be determined from the available evidence.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Human factors
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have avoided using diphenhydramine before flight.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • ADS-B / radar
  • Photos
  • 8 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents8

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