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CEN20CA103

2020-02-22 · Bunkie, Louisiana, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport 2LA4

Current FAA registration · N602BK

Make / Model
AIR TRACTOR INC AT-602
Year of manufacture
2005 · 15 years old at event
Engine
P&W PT6A SER (750 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20050105
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A7CED0

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to lock the tailwheel before landing, which resulted in his loss of directional control during the landing roll, a runway excursion onto soft ground, and a subsequent ground loop.

Factual narrative

The pilot was performing a straight in approach and landing. The airplane touched down on the runway centerline and under control. After the tailwheel settled onto the runway, the pilot applied the brakes and retarded the engine power into the beta range. Shortly afterward, the airplane began to swerve to the left. The pilot's efforts to maintain directional control were unsuccessful and the airplane departed the left side of the runway. The momentum of the airplane resulted in a "classic ground loop" as it encountered the soft ground adjacent to the runway and then contacted a crop of sugar cane. The airplane sustained damage to the fuselage, right wing and vertical stabilizer. The pilot noted that the "mishap was most likely preventable" because he did not ensure that the tailwheel lock was engaged before landing. The pilot reported that he was performing a straight-in approach and landing. The airplane touched down on the runway centerline, and it was under control. After the tailwheel settled onto the runway, the pilot applied the brakes and retarded the engine power to the beta range. Shortly after, the airplane began to swerve left. The pilot's efforts to maintain directional control were unsuccessful, and the airplane departed the left side of the runway, encountered soft ground, and ground looped. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, right wing, and vertical stabilizer. The pilot noted that he did not ensure that the tailwheel lock was engaged before landing. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
  • C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Lack of action-Pilot - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
  • C Environmental issues-Physical environment-Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface-Soft surface-Effect on operation - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2020_CEN20CA103.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (runway excursion). All research papers