No fatalities

21 Apr 2020: Air Tractor AT 602 No Series — Tradewind Ag Inc. — El Campo, TX

El Campo, TX, United States

On 21 Apr 2020, an Air Tractor AT 602 No Series operated by Tradewind Ag Inc. was involved in an aviation accident near El Campo, TX. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's misjudgment of a ground spray rig’s position and his incorrect belief that a runway incursion might occur, which resulted in the pilot attempting and then aborting a go-around, which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with a fence. 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 rollout at a remote airstrip, a tailwheel airplane struck a fence after the pilot misinterpreted a ground spray rig's movement and aborted a go-around.

Incident Overview

A pilot flying a tailwheel airplane landed on a dry grass runway at a remote agricultural airstrip for the first time. The approach was to the south. Just before touchdown, the pilot observed a ground spray rig maneuvering toward the turf runway. The landing was uneventful, but during the landing roll, the pilot perceived that the spray rig was crossing the runway, believing a runway incursion was occurring. The pilot later stated, "[the spray rig] pulled out on me, not thinking it could be on the road that went around the end of the airstrip."

Sequence of Events

Due to his elevated seating position in the tailwheel airplane, the pilot incorrectly judged that the spray rig was on the runway. In response, he applied full power to execute a go-around. However, the turbine engine exhibited an acceleration lag, and the pilot realized he would not have enough time to perform a successful go-around. He then reduced power and attempted to stop the airplane before reaching the end of the available runway.

Damage and Impact

The airplane failed to stop and impacted a metal perimeter fence. The impact caused substantial damage to the fuselage, the right aileron, and the engine mount. The operator reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

Contributing factors

PilotAwareness of conditionEffect on operation