At 10:19 MST, an Air Tractor 502A lost its left wing in flight near Queen Creek, killing the pilot. The airplane was spraying chemicals on crops when the left wing separated during a level spray pass. No unusual meteorological phenomena were observed in the area and the airplane was not observed to have performed any unusual maneuvers prior to the failure. The lower spar cap was observed to have fractured at a point just outboard of the fuselage attach fitting.
April 22, Queen Creek, Ariz. / Air Tractor 502
At 10:19 MST, an Air Tractor 502A lost its left wing in flight near Queen Creek, killing the pilot. The airplane was spraying chemicals on crops when the left wing separated during a level spray pass. No unusual meteorological phenomena were observed in the area and the airplane was not observed to have performed any unusual maneuvers prior to the failure. The lower spar cap was observed to have fractured at a point just outboard of the fuselage attach fitting....
Key Takeaways:
- An Air Tractor 502A experienced an in-flight separation of its left wing near Queen Creek, resulting in the death of the pilot.
- The aircraft was engaged in a level chemical spraying pass when the wing detached without any observed unusual maneuvers or meteorological phenomena.
- Initial observations indicate the failure originated from a fracture in the lower spar cap, located just outboard of the fuselage attach fitting.
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