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20250605006099A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Air Tractor AT-502 · Gilkerson, AR · June 5, 2025

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 5, 2025 · 17:30 local
Place
Gilkerson, AR
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N45113
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN25LA200
Reported as
Air Tractor AT-502
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-60A
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
4,186 total1,663 in this make and model225 in the last 90 days
N45113Registered now · Air Tractor AT-502S/N 502-0094 · Built 1990Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-502Engine modelPratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-60ATurbo-prop

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On June 5, 2025, the airman involved in the accident was conducting agricultural operations near Gilkerson, AR. Visual meteorological conditions and calm winds prevailed throughout the day; however, an isolated thunderstorm had developed approximately 10 miles to the southwest of the accident site. After landing from spreading fertilizer, the airman taxied up to the loader to pick up another load and noticed that the windsock was still indicating calm winds. After the loading was complete, the airman began his takeoff roll, and as he passed the 10-knot windsock, he noticed that it was completely inflated and whipping violently. Approximately 100 feet down the runway, the airman felt the aircraft yaw violently from side to side and then became airborne with very little airspeed indicated on the airspeed indicator. The aircraft then veered left of the runway, striking an irrigation ditch with the main landing gear, which caused the propeller and right wing to impact the ground, and the aircraft came to rest on its back.

As the FAA filed it

ON JUNE 5, 2025, THE AIRMAN INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT WAS CONDUCTING AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS NEAR GILKERSON, AR. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND CALM WINDS PREVAILED THROUGHOUT THE DAY; HOWEVER, AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM HAD DEVELOPED APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES TO THE SOUTHWEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. AFTER LANDING FROM SPREADING FERTILIZER, THE AIRMAN TAXIED UP TO THE LOADER TO PICK UP ANOTHER LOAD AND NOTICED THAT THE WINDSOCK WAS STILL INDICATING CALM WINDS. AFTER THE LOADING WAS COMPLETE, THE AIRMAN BEGAN HIS TAKEOFF ROLL, AND AS HE PASSED THE 10-KNOT WINDSOCK, HE NOTICED THAT IT WAS COMPLETELY INFLATED AND WHIPPING VIOLENTLY. APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET DOWN THE RUNWAY, THE AIRMAN FELT THE AIRCRAFT YAW VIOLENTLY FROM SIDE TO SIDE AND THEN BECAME AIRBORNE WITH VERY LITTLE AIRSPEED INDICATED ON THE AIRSPEED INDICATOR. THE AIRCRAFT THEN VEERED LEFT OF THE RUNWAY, STRIKING AN IRRIGATION DITCH WITH THE MAIN LANDING GEAR, WHICH CAUSED THE PROPELLER AND RIGHT WING TO IMPACT THE GROUND, AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON ITS BACK.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN25LA200Accident · Serious injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportGibson, ARThe pilot’s loss of control during takeoff due to an encounter with a sudden wind shift.Jun 5, 2025 · Substantial damage