NTSB Factual Report

On August 9, 2008 approximately 1045 mountain daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-402, N4555Y, registered to and operated by Summers Spraying Service and piloted by a commercial pilot, was substantially damaged when it ground looped and collided with terrain during landing at Richie Crockett Airstrip, a private airstrip, in Dexter, New Mexico. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The aerial application flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 137 without a flight plan. The pilot was not injured. The local flight originated from Dexter approximately 1000.

The pilot said he submitted NTSB Form 6120.1/2, Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, to the Dallas office of NTSB. It was never received. The following is based on information that was collected at the time of the accident: The pilot said he was landing at the airstrip to refill the hopper with chemical. The airplane went off the side of the runway and ground looped. The left main landing gear was torn off, the left wing tip was scraped, and the left aileron was bent. The pilot reported no control malfunction or other anomalies with the airplane prior to the accident.

The repair facility was contacted. According to a spokesman, due to the damage, there was no way of determining if the the landing gear had been bent previously or if there was a discrepancy with the toe-in.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane.