No fatalities

10 Jul 2018: Air Tractor AT 502 — Olsem Aerial Application Services Llc — De Land, IL

De Land, IL, United States

On 10 Jul 2018, an Air Tractor AT 502 Undesignat operated by Olsem Aerial Application Services Llc was involved in an aviation accident near De Land, IL. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s selection of unsuitable terrain for landing in crosswind conditions, which resulted in the airplane inadvertently becoming airborne and a subsequent hard landing and loss of directional control. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

During landing roll in rain and crosswind, a tailwheel-equipped airplane hit a bump, became airborne, then touched down hard, exited runway, and ground looped, causing substantial damage.

Accident Details

An accident occurred during the landing roll of a tailwheel-equipped airplane following an aerial application flight. The aircraft was landing in rain and a crosswind, and the pilot reported that the airplane hit a "bump" during the landing roll, causing it to become airborne again. At that point, the airplane was slow, drifted left, and subsequently touched down hard. The airplane then exited the runway and ground looped, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, and left wing.

Pilot's Account

The pilot stated that after hitting the bump and becoming airborne, the airplane was slow and drifted left before touching down hard. He added that he should have possibly landed farther down the runway to avoid the bumps that sent him back into the air. The pilot also reported that there were no preexisting mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have prevented normal operation.

Weather Information

An automated weather observation system located approximately 19 nautical miles from the accident site reported that about the time of the accident, the wind was from 260° at 12 knots. The pilot landed on runway 18.

Damage

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, and left wing.

Probable Cause

The source does not provide a stated probable cause.

Contributing factors

Causes

PilotDirectional control — Not attained/maintainedDecision related to condition

Other contributing factors

Effect on operation