# NTSB investigations, AR: 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 CEN25LA140](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA140.md): Air Tractor AT-802A · Cash, AR · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Mar 28, 2025 · N41687 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from an excavator during low-altitude aerial application operations.
- [NTSB CEN25LA075](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA075.md): Bellanca 7GCBC · Batesville, AR · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Jan 12, 2025 · N8569V · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from powerlines while flying at low altitude.
- [NTSB CEN24LA257](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN24LA257.md): Grumman Acft ENG Cor-Schweizer G-164B · Sedgwick, AR · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jul 8, 2024 · N6500K · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a power line during the spray pass.
- [NTSB CEN24LA175](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN24LA175.md): Air Tractor AT-802A · England, AR · Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · May 1, 2024 · N8515G · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from tower guy wires while maneuvering during a low-level aerial application flight.
- [NTSB CEN23LA212](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA212.md): Grumman Acft ENG Cor-Schweizer G-164B · Light, AR · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · May 29, 2023 · N6678Q · Substantial damage
  > The pilot exceeding the climb capability of the airplane during takeoff which led to it settling into the ground.
- [NTSB CEN23FA155](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23FA155.md): Junior Ace · Mammoth Springs, AR · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Apr 13, 2023 · N5545 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s intentional flight into terrain as an act of suicide.
- [NTSB CEN22LA335](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22LA335.md): Ayres S2R-T34 · Parkin, AR · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Jul 23, 2022 · N4046S · Destroyed
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from tower guy wires while maneuvering.
- [NTSB CEN22FA215](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22FA215.md): Grumman American Avn. G-164 · Whiskerville, AR · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · May 28, 2022 · N178LB · Destroyed
  > The pilot misjudged the approach during the emergency landing, likely due to the full chemical load, and impacted a ditch, resulting in substantial damage and postimpact fire. Contributing to the pilot’s injuries was the lack of a crash-resistant fuel system…
- [NTSB CEN22LA226](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22LA226.md): Air Tractor AT-802A · Weiner, AR · Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · May 27, 2022 · N579LA · Destroyed
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from the telephone pole during a low-level aerial application pass.
- [NTSB CEN21LA454](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA454.md): Kitfox IV · Ozark, AR · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Sep 24, 2021 · N161JB · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s inability to maintain altitude after the airplane encountered a downdraft while he intentionally flew at a low-altitude during a practice for a short-takeoff-and-landing flight competition.
- [NTSB CEN21LA005](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA005.md): Air Tractor AT402 · Egypt, AR · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Oct 2, 2020 · N4540F · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a tree limb during a low-level aerial application flight.
- [NTSB CEN19FA020](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN19FA020.md): Hughes 369 · McDougal, AR · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 2 · Field · Final report · Nov 2, 2018 · N5187S · Destroyed
  > The pilot's failure to maintain the helicopter's clearance from the powerline structure while hovering in gusty wind conditions, which resulted in an inadvertent collision with the structure and an uncontrolled descent into terrain.
- [NTSB CEN18FA263](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN18FA263.md): Air Tractor AT-602 · Wheatley, AR · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Jul 11, 2018 · N8508P · Destroyed
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.
- [NTSB GAA16CA512](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA16CA512.md): Air Tractor AT802 · Wilson, AR · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Sep 6, 2016 · N519EP · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to adequately survey the area of operation and his subsequent failure to maintain clearance from power lines during an agricultural application flight.
- [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 CEN16FA215](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN16FA215.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Jonesboro, AR · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Jun 12, 2016 · N789MR · Destroyed
  > The pilot's failure to maintain helicopter control during takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's impairment due to his combined use of alcohol and diphenhydramine, which led to his improper decision to fly after drinking alcohol and degraded…
- [NTSB GAA16CA266](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA16CA266.md): Cessna 177 · Pine Bluff, AR · Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report · May 29, 2016 · N29601 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed and her exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle-of-attack during a low-altitude turn, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
- [NTSB CEN15LA384](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15LA384.md): Air Tractor AT 602 · Pine Bluff, AR · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Aug 26, 2015 · N3026R · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from terrain during an aerial application flight.
- [NTSB CEN15LA367](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15LA367.md): Air Tractor AT-802A · Wiville, AR · Accident · 1 fatal · Limited investigation · Final report · Aug 18, 2015 · N3070R · Destroyed
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a utility pole while maneuvering during an agricultural application flight, which resulted in damage to the right aileron and a subsequent uncontrolled right roll at a low altitude.
- [NTSB CEN14CA314](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN14CA314.md): Air Tractor AT 402B · Newport, AR · Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jun 21, 2014 · N428JJ · Substantial damage
  > The pilot misjudged his altitude which resulted in the airplane contacting a wire during the low altitude aerial application maneuver.
- [NTSB CEN11CA011](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN11CA011.md): Cessna 175C · Humphrey, AR · Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report · Oct 8, 2010 · N8323T · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a static wire while maneuvering at a low altitude.
- [NTSB CEN10CA391](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN10CA391.md): Air Tractor AT602 · Lake Village, AR · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jul 11, 2010 · N42590 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the wires during the aerial application pass.
- [NTSB CEN10FA310](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN10FA310.md): Air Tractor AT602 · Knobel, AR · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Jun 7, 2010 · N4184P · Substantial damage
  > The pilot did not maintain control of the airplane while maneuvering at low altitude.
- [NTSB DEN08FA122](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN08FA122.md): Hughes 269B · Salesville, AR · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Jul 15, 2008 · N469E · Destroyed
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the crossing transmission line.
- [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.
- [NTSB DFW08LA108](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DFW08LA108.md): Woods Challenger II · Corning, AR · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Apr 20, 2008 · N213TW · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from transmission lines. A contributing factor was the low altitude selected by the pilot.
- [NTSB DFW08CA104](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DFW08CA104.md): Air Tractor AT-602 · Paragould, AR · Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report · Apr 20, 2008 · N8517M · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from electrical wires while maneuvering. Contributing to the accident were binding of the elevator control, inadvertent stall and trees.

## 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."eventStateOrRegion" = 'AR' AND c."eventCountry" = 'USA'
  AND c."mKey" IN (SELECT s.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' s WHERE 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?state=AR

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OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.