No fatalities

7 Jun 2011: AIR TRACTOR INC AT-502B — Wilbur-Ellis Air LLC — Odessa, WA

Odessa, WA, United States

On 7 Jun 2011, an AIR TRACTOR INC AT-502B operated by Wilbur-Ellis Air LLC was involved in an aviation accident near Odessa, WA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the other aircraft. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 14 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

An Air Tractor and an Aero Commander collided on the ground when the Air Tractor pilot, distracted by the sun, turned into the parked Aero Commander. The Aero Commander's right wing was substantially damaged.

Incident Overview

The pilot of an Air Tractor reported that he was parked at a chemical loading dock, which housed agricultural spray used for dusting. A chemical tank and another airplane were positioned in front of him. After loading his tanks, he increased throttle and began turning to the right while watching his left wing to clear obstacles. The Air Tractor pilot noted that he was not watching his right wing due to the sun.

Sequence of Events

Meanwhile, the pilot of an Aero Commander was stopped on the taxiway with the engine idling, waiting to proceed toward the loading dock. The Aero Commander pilot reported seeing an airplane approaching but assumed it would turn in front of him toward the runway. When he realized the other airplane was on a collision course, he applied throttle to attract the other pilot's attention, but his efforts were unsuccessful.

Collision and Damage

The propeller of the Air Tractor struck the right wing of the Aero Commander, resulting in substantial damage to the Aero Commander's right wing.

Pilot Statements

Both pilots reported that there were no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframes or engines of their respective aircraft that would have precluded normal flight.

Contributing factors

Causes

PilotResponse/compensationPilot of other aircraft

Other contributing factors

Effect on personnel