Air Tractor AT-502B Crashes During Agricultural Takeoff in Minas Gerais

Casualties unknown • PRESIDENTE OLEGÁRIO, MG, BR

An Air Tractor AT-502B sustained substantial damage after striking a cornfield during a takeoff attempt in Presidente Olegário, Brazil.

What happened

On February 4, 2015, at approximately 19:50 UTC, an Air Tractor AT-502B, registration PR-RRR, was performing an agricultural spraying operation at Fazenda Boa Esperança in Presidente Olegário, Minas Gerais. The aircraft, operated by Rondon Aviação Agrícola Ltda.-EPK, took off from a 900-meter agricultural landing strip to apply pesticides to a corn plantation.

Shortly after leaving the ground, the pilot noticed that the aircraft was failing to gain sufficient altitude. In an attempt to reduce weight, the pilot decided to jettison the agricultural payload. During this maneuver, the right wingtip struck the top of the corn crop, leading to a loss of control and a subsequent impact with the ground. The pilot survived the accident without injury, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage.

Probable cause

The accident was caused by an inadequate assessment of the aircraft's takeoff performance and a failure to account for the insufficient runway length relative to the required takeoff distance.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 2015-02-04 aircraft accident near PRESIDENTE OLEGÁRIO, MG, BR?

An Air Tractor AT-502B sustained substantial damage after striking a cornfield during a takeoff attempt in Presidente Olegário, Brazil.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 2015-02-04 involved a aircraft, registration PRRRR, at PRESIDENTE OLEGÁRIO, MG, BR.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The accident was caused by an inadequate assessment of the aircraft's takeoff performance and a failure to account for the insufficient runway length relative to the required takeoff distance.

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