Accident Details
On August 9, 2022, at approximately 1709 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-802A, registration N830DA, sustained substantial damage during an accident on Lake Livingston near Onalaska, Texas. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operating under 14 CFR Part 137 as an aerial firefighting flight.
Pilot Account
According to the pilot, he was part of a formation of three firefighting airplanes dispatched to a fire between Groveton and Corrigan, Texas. After completing seven water scooping iterations, the flight refueled and returned to the lake for additional scooping. The pilots noted a change in wind, estimating it to be at least 20 knots, and that the lake surface appeared rougher but workable.
The accident pilot reported that the approach and touchdown were normal, but the water was "very choppy." He decided to abort the scooping run early due to the rough conditions. He raised the scoops while attempting to keep the nose straight. At this point, the airplane was solidly on the water and not transitioning. As he added power and rudder input, the nose veered uncontrollably, causing the airplane to spin almost 180° around its vertical axis. The floats separated, and the right wing was substantially damaged. The airplane came to rest upright; the pilot egressed, swam away, and was rescued by a civilian boat.
Examination and Data
The airplane was recovered from the lake and examined. The examination revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies. No evidence suggested the airplane struck an object in the lake.
Data from the airplane's Electronics International MVP-50T electronic engine display showed that at 1709:02, propeller rpm began decreasing from 1,660 rpm. By 1709:05, propeller rpm was zero. Over the next five seconds, the airplane's heading changed from 170° to 323°, a rate of about 30° per second.
Weather
The reported weather at Conroe/North Houston Regional Airport (CXO), Conroe, Texas, near the time of the accident included wind from 120° at 10 knots with gusts to 20 knots. The TAF for the airport predicted thunderstorms in the vicinity around that time.