Soledad, CA, USA
N6024M
Air Tractor AT-401
The pilot was seeding an area located adjacent to mountainous terrain. Prior to making the first pass, he had flown a reconnaissance flight to inspect the area. After completion of the first pass as he was maneuvering in a turn back towards the field, he was checking the seeding pattern and making adjustments to the GPS system inside the cockpit. When he checked the gauges again, he realized that the airplane had lost airspeed and rolled out to a wings level configuration to regain the lost airspeed. The airplane was headed towards rising terrain. He jettisoned the remaining seed and made a controlled collision with terrain in a ravine. The airplane was destroyed in a post impact fire. He reported that he had preoccupied himself with less important flight duties at a critical time during the flight. The pilot reported no mechanical problems that would have precluded normal operation.
According to the pilot, he departed from King City, California, airport about 1000 for a seeding flight mission west of the Soledad, California. After performing a reconnaissance flight over the area, he made his first application pass heading towards the west. During this time he was also visually checking the seeding pattern and making adjustments to the GPS application equipment located inside the airplane. After completion of the first pass, he initiated a turn and noted that his airspeed had slowed during the first pass. He was not able to complete the turn, and "rolled" back to wings level flight. He added full power and checked the engine gauges. The pilot stated that he believed he would be able to regain sufficient airspeed to complete his turn and continued straight ahead. He stated that his direction of flight was towards a canyon with "rapidly rising terrain." The pilot stated that as soon as he maneuvered back to wings level flight, he was rapidly approaching the rising terrain, and he was not going to be able to "climb or out maneuver" the terrain. He immediately released the emergency dump handle to jettison the remaining seed from the hopper. While jettisoning the seed, he also chose the best possible location for an emergency landing. The pilot's next memory was of fire and smoke; he was able to extricate himself from the wreckage. In the pilot's written submission to the Safety Board (NTSB Form 6120.1; Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report), in the section titled RECOMMENDATION (How could this accident/incident have been prevented), the pilot stated that he had preoccupied himself with other, "less important flight duties at a critical time when all focus should have been outside the cockpit verifying that my chosen flight path could be maintained." The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. According to a responding Battalion Chief from the California Department of Forestry, the airplane flew into a box canyon and was not able to turn around. The airplane struck several trees and impacted in a ravine near an old Jeep road, and was destroyed in the post impact fire.
The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate clearance from mountainous terrain while maneuvering during an aerial application mission. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's diverted attention inside the cockpit.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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