LANE CITY, TX, USA
N31619
AIR TRACTOR AT-400A
THE PLT WAS LEADING A FLT OF 2 ACFT ON AN AERIAL APPLICATION MISSION. THE PLT OF THE 2ND ACFT STATED THAT AT THE END OF A SWATH RUN, THE LEAD ACFT PULLED UP TO AN ALMOST VERTICAL ATTITUDE & TO AN ALT OF BETWEEN 300 & 400 FT AGL. AT THAT TIME, THE PLANE STALLED & CONTINUED OVER ONTO ITS BACK, THEN ENTERED AN INVERTED SPIN. REPORTEDLY, THE SPIN CONTINUED FOR ABOUT 1 1/2 TURNS UNTIL THE ACFT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A STEEP NOSE DOWN, SLIGHTLY INVERTED, ATTITUDE. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE PLT WAS HIGHLY QUALIFIED IN AG OPERATIONS, BUT HAD ONLY RECENTLY STARTED FLYING TURBINED POWER ACFT. REPORTEDLY, HE HAD RECEIVED NO FORMAL TRAINING IN THIS MODEL OF THE ACFT NOR IN THE OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS OF TURBINE ENGS. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE WAS MADE, BUT NO PREIMPACT, MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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