What happened
On June 25, 2024, at approximately 08:20 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-502A, registration N325RA, was involved in an accident near Martin, Tennessee. The aircraft was being operated by Rainey Aerial Ag Service, Inc., performing a Part 137 aerial application flight. The pilot sustained 1 fatal injury.
At the time of the accident, weather conditions were VMC with a visibility of 10 statute miles and winds from 180 degrees at 07 knots. A witness located approximately 900 feet north of the site observed the aircraft flying south at a height of roughly 15 to 20 feet above the treetops. The witness noted the engine sounded normal, but then heard a noise similar to something dragging, followed two to three seconds later by a loud impact noise.
The aircraft came to rest inverted in a heavily wooded area. The angle of the tree strikes indicated a steep descent through the canopy. The right wingtip was found separated from the main wreckage, located approximately 605 feet north-northeast of the aircraft. Debris, including a spray nozzle and white paint flakes, were also found scattered near the wreckage and the wingtip.
The investigation
Investigators identified a freshly broken tree trunk and limbs located about 750 feet north-northeast of the main wreckage. The tree trunk fracture occurred at an estimated height of 60 to 90 feet above ground level.
Examination of the right wing of the N325RA revealed a semi-circular indentation on the leading edge, approximately 12 inches inboard of the aileron hinge compression rib. This 4-inch diameter indentation matched a portion of the impacted tree. The forward spar was deformed aft due to the contact, and damage to the wing skin was present. Post-accident inspections of the roll, pitch, yaw, flaps, flap droop, and aileron/rudder interconnect systems showed no evidence of pre-impact failure or malfunction. Components containing non-volatile memory were recovered for examination.