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CEN25LA002

2024-10-01 · Moffett, Oklahoma, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport NA

Current FAA registration · N45472

Make / Model
AIR TRACTOR INC AT-402A
Year of manufacture
1991 · 33 years old at event
Engine
P&W PT6A SER (750 hp)
Seats / Engines
1 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20230412
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A58460

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The tail wheel assembly’s fractured bolt which resulted in the pilot’s loss of directional control during landing.

Factual narrative

During the landing roll on a dirt strip, the pilot felt the airplane’s tail section “bottom out”. The pilot lost rudder control, and the airplane veered off the strip into vegetation and ground looped. During the ground loop, the left wing struck the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing and aileron. A postaccident examination of the airplane found that one of the bolts which secured the tail wheel spring to the tail wheel housing assembly had fractured. The pilot did not submit the National Transportation Safety Board Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report Form 6120.1. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Landing gear system-Nose/tail gear strut/axle-Failure
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Attain/maintain not possible
  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2024_CEN25LA002.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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