Pilot Debrief

AIR TRACTOR INC AT-402 near Uvalde, TX — 2011-08-13

Final reportCEN11LA571
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Date
2011-08-13
Location
Uvalde, TX, USA
Aircraft
AIR TRACTOR INC AT-402
Registration
N10119
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering to avoid power lines during a precautionary landing, which resulted an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the fluctuating engine power for undetermined reasons and the pilot's preoccupation with the malfunctioning global positioning system.

NTSB narrative

The pilot said he had just completed spraying a field during the aerial application flight when he noted that the airplane's global positioning system (GPS) unit had malfunctioned. As he attempted to troubleshoot the problem, the airplane’s engine power began to fluctuate. The pilot decided to make a precautionary landing. He looked inside the cockpit at the GPS, and, when he looked back outside, he noticed a set of power lines crossing the road. He was able to avoid them, then saw a second set of power lines. As he maneuvered the airplane to avoid them, he inadvertently stalled the airplane. The airplane’s right wing dropped and struck the power lines. The airplane then spun around and impacted terrain in an inverted attitude. A postaccident examination could not determine the reason for the drop in engine power. No other anomalies with the airplane were found.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have maintained focus outside to avoid power lines.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 2 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents2

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