20260501005199A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Air Tractor AT-602 · Bealeton, VA · May 1, 2026

Date: May 1, 2026 · 12:30 local
Place: Bealeton, VA
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: 33VG
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N602RH
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA26LA195
Reported as: Air Tractor AT-602
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65AG
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours: 22,172 total

N602RHRegistered now · Air Tractor AT-602S/N 602-0627 · Built 2001 Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-602 Engine 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.

Pilot was performing aerial application to a farm field. During a run across the field at about 100', saw a puff of smoke out of the left exhaust stack and the aircraft lost performance (shortly after realized the prop was feathering). Pilot pitched up to gain altitude and looking for a landing field, started to look at guages but the propeller stopped creating thrust completely so the pilot immediately started focusing on the emergency landing. Pilot landed in the next open field west of the field being sprayed. Nearing the end of the field with trees and a highway and still having more speed to stop, the pilot ground looped the airplane to prevent running into the trees or onto the highway. Gear collapsed. Engine was still running, propellor was fully feathered and digging into the ground. Pilot shut engine off and exited the airplane without injury.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT WAS PERFORMING AERIAL APPLICATION TO A FARM FIELD. DURING A RUN ACROSS THE FIELD AT ABOUT 100', SAW A PUFF OF SMOKE OUT OF THE LEFT EXHAUST STACK AND THE AIRCRAFT LOST PERFORMANCE (SHORTLY AFTER REALIZED THE PROP WAS FEATHERING). PILOT PITCHED UP TO GAIN ALTITUDE AND LOOKING FOR A LANDING FIELD, STARTED TO LOOK AT GUAGES BUT THE PROPELLER STOPPED CREATING THRUST COMPLETELY SO THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY STARTED FOCUSING ON THE EMERGENCY LANDING. PILOT LANDED IN THE NEXT OPEN FIELD WEST OF THE FIELD BEING SPRAYED. NEARING THE END OF THE FIELD WITH TREES AND A HIGHWAY AND STILL HAVING MORE SPEED TO STOP, THE PILOT GROUND LOOPED THE AIRPLANE TO PREVENT RUNNING INTO THE TREES OR ONTO THE HIGHWAY. GEAR COLLAPSED. ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING, PROPELLOR WAS FULLY FEATHERED AND DIGGING INTO THE GROUND. PILOT SHUT ENGINE OFF AND EXITED THE AIRPLANE WITHOUT INJURY.

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 ERA26LA195Accident · No injuriesClass 3 · LimitedPreliminary reportBealeton, VAOn May 1, 2026, at 1230 eastern daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-602, N602RH, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Bealeton, Virginia. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations…May 1, 2026 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N602RH · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20090707012269ITaxi · Newton, IA(-23) The dsm FSDO received an annonymous report via telephone stating an incident occured at the Newton airport on 07/13/2009. An ag tractor AT-602 was started in preparation for taxi and the pilot got out of the airplane. The airplane taxiied across the…Jul 7, 2009 · Minor damage