N5202UAir Tractor AT-602 · 1999

On June 14, 2009, about 1730 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-602, N5202U, was substantially damaged when it experienced a total loss of engine power during takeoff from Magee Municipal Airport (17M), Magee, Mississippi. The certificated commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the agricultural flight that was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137.

During a telephone interview, the pilot reported that he was departing runway 18, a 3,104-foot-long, asphalt runway. As the airplane climbed to approximately 25 feet above the runway, "the engine went quiet" and the left wing dropped. The airplane subsequently impacted the ground, which caused the empennage and the main landing gear to separate. The pilot exited the airplane before a post-crash fire consumed the cockpit and a portion of the right wing.

The pilot further reported that he departed with both fuel tanks about five-eighths full and that he completed 12 previous flights in the airplane on the day of the accident, without any abnormalities.

Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any obvious mechanical malfunctions. The propeller was observed at or near the feathered position, and could be rotated freely.

The airplane was equipped with a Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) PT6A-60AG series engine, which was forwarded to the P&WC Service Investigation Facility, St. Hubert, Quebec, Canada, where it was examined under supervision of a Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigator. The examination revealed that the engine did not display any impact damage. The power section and gas generator section rotors rotated freely by hand, and were continuous with all accessory drives. Subsequent disassembly and inspection of the engine assembly and testing of accessory components did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal engine operation.

According to the operator, the airplane's most recent annual inspection was performed on July 1, 2008. The engine had accumulated about 7,000 hours since new, and 300 hours since the annual inspection.

The pilot reported 8,200 hours of total flight experience, which included 600 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane.