What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
June 3, 2026 - at approximately 1810 UTC, an Air tractor AT-602 was involved in an accident near Breaux Bridge, st. martin parish, Louisiana. The aircraft departed a private agricultural grass strip (17LS) in port barre, Louisiana, on a local aerial application flight to fertilize a rice field near Breaux Bridge.
According to the pilot, the flight had been in progress for approximately five minutes when the engine began experiencing intermittent power surges. The first indication of a problem was a brief engine power surge, followed shortly thereafter by a second surge. The pilot then observed increasing engine temperature and responded by reducing engine power. Upon reducing power, the engine surged a third time, accompanied by flames observed from the left exhaust, followed immediately by a complete loss of engine power.
The pilot initiated a forced landing, selected full flaps, and landed in a field approximately 5 nautical miles northeast of lafayette regional airport (lft). During the landing roll, the aircraft ground-looped when sugar cane contacted the right wingtip and pulled it into a ditch.
There was one person on board. The pilot was not injured. No ground injuries were reported.
FAA inspectors arrived on scene at approximately 1536 local time and observed the aircraft in the field where it had come to rest. Examination revealed the aircraft had sustained substantial damage as a result of the emergency landing sequence. The aircraft was disabled and awaiting recovery.
06/12/2026 - FAA representatives were on site to collect fuel samples and position the aircraft so the salvage company could access it. Fuel samples from both wing tanks and the header tank were clean. The firewall filter showed signs of water contamination and fungal growth on the filter and in the bottom of the bowl. The fuel control inlet filter and bowl were very dirty but showed no signs of water contamination.
06/16/2026 - The aircraft maintenence records were collected and sent to the NTSB iic for review. The NTSB iic stated that he along the engine manufacture will evaluate the aircraft at the salvage facility in the coming weeks.
As the FAA filed it
JUNE 3, 2026 - AT APPROXIMATELY 1810 UTC, AN AIR TRACTOR AT-602 WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NEAR BREAUX BRIDGE, ST. MARTIN PARISH, LOUISIANA. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED A PRIVATE AGRICULTURAL GRASS STRIP (17LS) IN PORT BARRE, LOUISIANA, ON A LOCAL AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT TO FERTILIZE A RICE FIELD NEAR BREAUX BRIDGE.
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE FLIGHT HAD BEEN IN PROGRESS FOR APPROXIMATELY FIVE MINUTES WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT POWER SURGES. THE FIRST INDICATION OF A PROBLEM WAS A BRIEF ENGINE POWER SURGE, FOLLOWED SHORTLY THEREAFTER BY A SECOND SURGE. THE PILOT THEN OBSERVED INCREASING ENGINE TEMPERATURE AND RESPONDED BY REDUCING ENGINE POWER. UPON REDUCING POWER, THE ENGINE SURGED A THIRD TIME, ACCOMPANIED BY FLAMES OBSERVED FROM THE LEFT EXHAUST, FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY A COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER.
THE PILOT INITIATED A FORCED LANDING, SELECTED FULL FLAPS, AND LANDED IN A FIELD APPROXIMATELY 5 NAUTICAL MILES NORTHEAST OF LAFAYETTE REGIONAL AIRPORT (LFT). DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE AIRCRAFT GROUND-LOOPED WHEN SUGAR CANE CONTACTED THE RIGHT WINGTIP AND PULLED IT INTO A DITCH.
THERE WAS ONE PERSON ON BOARD. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. NO GROUND INJURIES WERE REPORTED.
FAA INSPECTORS ARRIVED ON SCENE AT APPROXIMATELY 1536 LOCAL TIME AND OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT IN THE FIELD WHERE IT HAD COME TO REST. EXAMINATION REVEALED THE AIRCRAFT HAD SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF THE EMERGENCY LANDING SEQUENCE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DISABLED AND AWAITING RECOVERY.
06/12/2026 - FAA REPRESENTATIVES WERE ON SITE TO COLLECT FUEL SAMPLES AND POSITION THE AIRCRAFT SO THE SALVAGE COMPANY COULD ACCESS IT. FUEL SAMPLES FROM BOTH WING TANKS AND THE HEADER TANK WERE CLEAN. THE FIREWALL FILTER SHOWED SIGNS OF WATER CONTAMINATION AND FUNGAL GROWTH ON THE FILTER AND IN THE BOTTOM OF THE BOWL. THE FUEL CONTROL INLET FILTER AND BOWL WERE VERY DIRTY BUT SHOWED NO SIGNS OF WATER CONTAMINATION.
06/16/2026 - THE AIRCRAFT MAINTENENCE RECORDS WERE COLLECTED AND SENT TO THE NTSB IIC FOR REVIEW. THE NTSB IIC STATED THAT HE ALONG THE ENGINE MANUFACTURE WILL EVALUATE THE AIRCRAFT AT THE SALVAGE FACILITY IN THE COMING WEEKS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.