On June 12, 2001, an Air Tractor AT-502B (registration N6181Q) was involved in an aviation accident near Marvell, AR. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: the improper decision of the driver of the vehicle(ATV) to enter an active airstrip. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An all-terrain vehicle entered a dirt airstrip during an aircraft's takeoff roll, leading to a collision. The aircraft swerved, struck the ATV, and came to rest in a field after landing gear separation.
Incident
An all-terrain vehicle (ATV) pulled out onto a dirt runway while an aircraft was in the process of departing. The aircraft had covered approximately half the length of the half-mile-long airstrip during its takeoff roll when the ATV entered the runway ahead of it. Upon sighting the ATV, the pilot swerved the airplane to the left. During the maneuver, the right wing of the aircraft struck the roll cage on the ATV. The impact caused the ATV to roll over, ending up beneath the right wing of the airplane. The aircraft continued its leftward path and subsequently entered a ditch. The left main landing gear separated from the aircraft as a result of the impact or the subsequent motion. The airplane spun around to the left and came to rest upright in a field adjacent to the airstrip.
Driver's Account
The driver of the ATV later stated that he had believed the airstrip was a "turnabout" area. He also reported that he realized a "yellow airplane" was approaching from behind just before the collision occurred.
Aftermath
The aircraft remained upright in the field after the sequence of events. No further details regarding the condition of the aircraft or the ATV driver are available from the investigation source.