Accident Summary
On June 6, 2016, at 1316 central daylight time, an Air Tractor Inc. AT-502, registration N10325, collided with terrain during an aerial application of a field near Ropesville, Texas. The airplane, operated by T-C Aerial LLC under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137, was destroyed, and the pilot received serious injuries. The flight was conducted under visual meteorological conditions and was not operating on a flight plan.
Pilot Statement
The pilot reported that during what he described as a routine aerial application, he first circled the field to identify obstacles. He sprayed the field in a north-to-south pattern and made passes from east to west. On the third pass, as the airplane exited the field to the west to turn back for an eastward pass, he felt a shake at the apex of the turn. He corrected for what he perceived as a stall, and the shake momentarily stopped. Subsequently, he felt the right wing "take a hard dip," and the airplane entered a right roll before impacting the ground.
Mechanical Condition
The pilot stated that there was no mechanical malfunction or failure of the airplane.