BROWNFIELD, TX, USA
N1502F
Air Tractor AT-401
According to the operator, during the landing on a private ag-strip, a slight crosswind resulted in the airplane diverting into an adjacent cotton field. The airplane bounced across soft crop rows for 60 feet to 70 feet until the left landing gear collapsed, at which point the left wing struck the ground and the motor/prop struck the ground subsequently flipping the aircraft completely over.
On September 1, 1996, at 1145 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-401, N1502F, was substantially damaged during landing near Brownfield, Texas. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by Foshee Flying Service under Title 14 CFR Part 137. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local aerial application flight which originated from a private Ag-strip approximately 45 minutes before the accident. A flight plan was not filed. The operator stated, in the NTSB Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, that during the landing on a private ag-strip, a "slight crosswind" resulted in the airplane diverting into an adjacent cotton field. "The plane was bouncing across soft crop rows for 60 feet to 70 feet until the left landing gear collapsed, at which point the left wing struck the ground and the motor/prop struck the ground subsequently flipping the aircraft completely over."
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing roll. A factor was the crosswind.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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