# NTSB investigations: Air Tractor AT-502B: Low altitude operation/event

NTSB aviation accident and incident investigations since 1962: the probable cause, findings, aircraft, crew, weather and docket of each, linked to the FAA registry and the FAA’s own reports.

## Latest cases

- [NTSB CEN25LA274](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA274.md): Air Tractor AT502 · Hastings, NE · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jul 22, 2025 · N502KB · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from powerlines while maneuvering at low altitude.
- [NTSB CEN24FA021](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN24FA021.md): Air Tractor AT-502B · Vidalia, LA · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Oct 24, 2023 · N5180W · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from power lines during an aerial application flight. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s cell phone use and the position of the sun, which reduced the pilot’s ability to perceive the location of the power…
- [NTSB CEN23FA412](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23FA412.md): Air Tractor AT-502B · New Rockford, ND · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Sep 19, 2023 · N502NB · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from overhead power lines during an aerial application flight. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to fly under the power lines with a small area of clearance available for the airplane.
- [NTSB CEN22LA359](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22LA359.md): Air Tractor AT-502B · Melville, LA · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Aug 3, 2022 · N41850 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot improperly monitored the operating environment which resulted in a collision with a tree located in the middle of a field.
- [NTSB CEN21LA283](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA283.md): Air Tractor AT-502B · Edwardsburg, MI · Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jun 20, 2021 · N8523Z · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to identify rising terrain and to maintain terrain clearance from trees during an aerial application pass that resulted in an in-flight collision with trees and terrain.
- [NTSB ERA20LA217](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20LA217.md): Air Tractor AT502 · Atmore, AL · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Jun 16, 2020 · N879JA · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack while maneuvering at low altitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall, spin, and loss of control.
- [NTSB GAA19CA502](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA19CA502.md): Air Tractor AT502 · Onida, SD · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Aug 16, 2019 · N500KA · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from power wires during agricultural application operations.
- [NTSB CEN19FA259](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN19FA259.md): Air Tractor AT502 · Sumner, IA · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Aug 8, 2019 · N6113C · Destroyed
  > The pilot’s impairment by medical conditions and/or medications, which resulted in the airplane’s impact with power lines and terrain.
- [NTSB GAA19CA480](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA19CA480.md): Air Tractor AT502 · Waco, NE · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Aug 4, 2019 · N730JD · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from wires during an agricultural application flight.
- [NTSB GAA19CA303](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA19CA303.md): Air Tractor AT502 · Rockford, OH · Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report · May 31, 2019 · N60518 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from power lines during an agricultural application flight.
- [NTSB CEN19FA003](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN19FA003.md): Air Tractor AT502 · Placedo, TX · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Oct 12, 2018 · N6135P · Destroyed
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the antenna tower, a known obstruction, during the agricultural application flight. Contributing to the accident was glare from the sun which hindered the pilot's ability to see and avoid the antenna tower.
- [NTSB CEN18FA232](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN18FA232.md): Air Tractor AT 502B · Enid, OK · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 2 · Field · Final report · Jun 19, 2018 · N2063B · Destroyed
  > The pilot's failure to see and avoid a known obstacle (communications tower) during agricultural spraying operations.
- [NTSB ERA17FA279](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA17FA279.md): Air Tractor AT502 · Philipp, MS · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Aug 16, 2017 · N6082B · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's improper decision to attempt a visual flight rules flight in instrument meteorological conditions, below a low overcast ceiling, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.
- [NTSB CEN16LA312](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN16LA312.md): Air Tractor AT-502B · Hickory Ridge, AR · Accident · 1 fatal · Limited investigation · Final report · Aug 8, 2016 · N634LA · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a transmission line while maneuvering at low altitude.
- [NTSB GAA16CA303](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA16CA303.md): Air Tractor AT 502 · Nicolaus, CA · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jun 1, 2016 · N5091N · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's insufficient clearance from a power line during aerial application operations, which resulted in a power line strike, a forced landing on unsuitable terrain, loss of directional control, and collision with terrain.
- [NTSB CEN14CA429](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN14CA429.md): Air Tractor AT 502B · Minden, NE · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jul 29, 2014 · N502NR · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's inadequate survey of the aerial application field which resulted in a collision with a windmill.
- [NTSB CEN14LA211](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN14LA211.md): Air Tractor AT 502B · Garfield, KS · Accident · 1 fatal · Limited investigation · Final report · Apr 22, 2014 · N51990 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s inadequate preflight planning and subsequent failure to remain clear of power lines while maneuvering low to the ground.
- [NTSB CEN13CA019](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13CA019.md): Air Tractor AT-502B · Portales, NM · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Oct 17, 2012 · N598LA · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from power lines during an aerial application flight.
- [NTSB CEN10CA445](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN10CA445.md): Air Tractor AT-502B · Zwingle, IA · Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jul 28, 2010 · N6030U · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from wires during the agricultural flight.
- [NTSB CEN09CA194](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN09CA194.md): Air Tractor AT-502B · Harrold, SD · Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report · Mar 6, 2009 · N648LA · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the power lines during his turn to reverse course due to weather. Contributing to the accident was the reduced visibility at the time of the accident.
- [NTSB NYC08CA279](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC08CA279.md): Air Tractor AT-502B · Tunica, MS · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Aug 13, 2008 · N61267 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the power lines during low-altitude maneuvers.
- [NTSB DFW08LA143](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DFW08LA143.md): Air Tractor AT-502B · Wheatley, AR · Accident · 1 fatal · Limited investigation · Final report · May 15, 2008 · N6112D · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, resulting in an inadvertent low-altitude aerodynamic stall.

## The whole list in SQL

Runs in DuckDB 1.2 or later on the release's Parquet files over HTTPS:

```sql
SELECT c."ntsbNumber", c."eventDate", c."eventType", c."eventCity", c."eventStateOrRegion", a.n_number, a."aircraftMake", a."aircraftModel", c."highestInjuryLevel", c."totalFatal", c."completionStatus", c.report_url
FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_case_detail.parquet' c LEFT JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' a ON a.case_mkey = c."mKey" AND a.position = 1
WHERE c."mKey" IN (SELECT x.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' x WHERE x.aircraft_model_code IN ('0390307')
    AND EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' s WHERE s.case_mkey = x.case_mkey AND s.aircrafts_position = x.position AND s."tier2Number" = '220' AND s.case_mkey IN (SELECT case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' WHERE "isDefiningEvent")))
ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC
```

This list as a web page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/220/sequence?model=0390307

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