Accident Details
On June 14, 2009, at about 1730 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-602, registration N5202U, was substantially damaged during a takeoff from Magee Municipal Airport (17M) in Magee, Mississippi. The commercial pilot, who was conducting an agricultural flight under 14 CFR Part 137, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
According to the pilot, the airplane departed on runway 18, a 3,104-foot-long asphalt surface. As the aircraft climbed to approximately 25 feet above the runway, the engine became quiet and the left wing dropped. The airplane then impacted the ground, causing the empennage and main landing gear to separate. The pilot exited the aircraft before a post-crash fire consumed the cockpit and part of the right wing.
The pilot stated that both fuel tanks were about five-eighths full at departure and that 12 previous flights had been completed that day without any issues.
Aircraft and Engine Examination
An FAA inspector examined the wreckage and found no obvious mechanical malfunctions. The propeller was observed at or near the feathered position and could be rotated freely.
The Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-60AG series engine was sent to the P&WC Service Investigation Facility in St. Hubert, Quebec, Canada, where it was examined under the supervision of a Transportation Safety Board investigator. The engine showed no impact damage. The power section and gas generator section rotors rotated freely by hand and were continuous with all accessory drives. Subsequent disassembly and testing of accessory components revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal engine operation.
According to the operator, the most recent annual inspection was performed on July 1, 2008. The engine had accumulated approximately 7,000 hours since new and 300 hours since that inspection.
Pilot Information
The pilot reported a total of 8,200 hours of flight experience, including 600 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane.