No fatalities

8 Sep 2019: Air Tractor AT 602 No Series — Horan Spraying Llc — TURKEY, TX

TURKEY, TX, United States

On 8 Sep 2019, an Air Tractor AT 602 No Series operated by Horan Spraying Llc was involved in an aviation accident near TURKEY, TX. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during a low pass, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain. 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

An aerial applicator airplane stalled and crashed during a low-altitude gender reveal celebration after dumping pink water. The aircraft sustained substantial damage; no preaccident mechanical issues were reported.

Accident Overview

According to the pilot's report, the accident occurred while operating an aerial applicator airplane at low altitude during a gender reveal event. The pilot stated that he had released approximately 350 gallons of pink-dyed water as part of the celebration. Shortly after the dump, the airplane "got too slow," entered an aerodynamic stall, impacted the terrain, and came to rest inverted.

Damage and Mechanical Status

Post-accident inspection revealed substantial damage to the fuselage, right wing, and empennage. The pilot reported that no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions existed that would have prevented normal operation of the aircraft.

Occupants and Flight Circumstances

The Federal Aviation Administration inspector who responded to the scene noted that the accident occurred during a low pass for the gender reveal. The inspector additionally stated that two persons were on board the airplane, which is a single-seat aircraft. No further details were provided regarding the occupants' condition.

No Additional Findings

The source document does not specify aircraft type, registration, operator, location, date, time of day, or weather conditions. No analysis or causal factors beyond the aerodynamic stall attributed to low speed were presented by the pilot or investigators.

Contributing factors

Causes

Airspeed — Not attained/maintainedCapability exceededPilot

Other contributing factors

CG/weight distribution