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CEN23LA244

2023-06-18 · Sturgis, South Dakota, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport 49B

Current FAA registration · N290LA

Make / Model
AIR TRACTOR INC AT-502A
Year of manufacture
2018 · 5 years old at event
Engine
P&W CANADA PT6A-140AG (867 hp)
Seats / Engines
1 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20180316
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A2F675

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s improper timing to initiate beta mode with the propeller and his failure to maintain directional during the full load landing that resulted in a runway excursion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of recent experience with performing a full load landing and the high-density altitude that likely affected aircraft performance during the landing.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported he departed in the airplane with about 660 lbs of fuel and about 3,500 lbs of liquid chemical for application to a pasture. After arriving at the pasture, the chemical dispersal system was malfunctioning, and the pilot decided to return to the airport. During the landing to the first quarter of the runway, the airplane was about 125 mph, with “half flap” applied, and the tailwheel was locked. As the tailwheel touched down on the dry concrete runway, the pilot initiated beta mode with the propeller, and the airplane “started veering to the right.” The pilot assessed that he “reversed the propeller too aggressively and too soon.” The airplane departed the runway to the right, the left main landing gear separated after impacting a ditch, and the airplane came to rest upright on a grass field. The pilot was able to egress from the airplane without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and the left wing. The operator reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation. A postaccident examination of the chemical dispersal system found foreign object debris that was likely blocking the flow of the chemical. Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 Agricultural Aircraft Operations does not contain full load landing training and recurrency requirements. The pilot reported the last time he performed a full load landing was about 2 years prior. The estimated density altitude for the airport was 6,101 ft. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
  • — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Incorrect action sequence-Pilot
  • — Personnel issues-Experience/knowledge-Experience/qualifications-Recent experience w/ equipment-Pilot
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Temp/humidity/pressure-High density altitude-Effect on equipment
  • — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2023_CEN23LA244.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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Related research

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