# NTSB investigations: Air Tractor AT-502B: Loss of control in flight

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 CEN25LA314](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA314.md): Air Tractor AT-502B · Goodland, KS · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Aug 10, 2025 · N502WF · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain aircraft control during the landing and go-around with variable wind direction and speed.
- [NTSB CEN25LA219](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA219.md): Air Tractor AT-502B · Charleston, MO · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jun 23, 2025 · N114WL · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s loss of control during the spray pass, which resulted in impact with vegetation and terrain.
- [NTSB CEN24LA165](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN24LA165.md): Air Tractor AT-502B · Olney, TX · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Apr 24, 2024 · N6108L · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during landing in gusty wind conditions.
- [NTSB CEN20LA306](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20LA306.md): Air Tractor AT502 · Grant, NE · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Jul 25, 2020 · N502KJ · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack while maneuvering during an agricultural flight, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and a loss of control at too low of an altitude to recover. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s…
- [NTSB ERA20CA231](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20CA231.md): Air Tractor AT502 · South Bay, FL · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Data collection · Final report · Jun 29, 2020 · N42190 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's loss of airplane control during the approach, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with vegetation 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 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 GAA19CA328](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA19CA328.md): Air Tractor AT502 · Monument, KS · Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jun 7, 2019 · N60642 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain altitude due to distraction by ground equipment in the airplane’s path, which resulted in his failure to maintain clearance from crops during an agricultural application flight and resulted in a loss of airplane control.
- [NTSB CEN18LA019](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN18LA019.md): Air Tractor AT 502B · Olton, TX · Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Oct 24, 2017 · N502G · Destroyed
  > The pilot's exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack while maneuvering during the aerial application flight, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of control at an altitude too low to recover.
- [NTSB GAA17CA360](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA17CA360.md): Air Tractor AT 502 · Portales, NM · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jun 22, 2017 · N700LA · Destroyed
  > The pilot's decision to fly the airplane under transmission lines while maneuvering at low altitude in high-density altitude conditions, which resulted in subsequent collision with terrain.
- [NTSB CEN17LA027](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN17LA027.md): Air Tractor AT 502B · Hereford, TX · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Oct 27, 2016 · N8525G · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a cotton crop while maneuvering during agricultural application operations, which resulted in a loss of airplane control.
- [NTSB GAA17CA030](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA17CA030.md): Air Tractor AT 502 · Paragould, AR · Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report · Oct 18, 2016 · N4218E · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to avoid electrical wires during low-altitude maneuvering, which resulted in a wire strike.
- [NTSB CEN15LA335](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15LA335.md): Air Tractor AT 502B · Virden, IL · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Aug 1, 2015 · N502LH · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to establish a proper airspeed during takeoff with the airplane near its maximum gross weight and with a quartering tailwind.
- [NTSB CEN15LA222](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15LA222.md): Air Tractor AT 502B · Basile, LA · Accident · 1 fatal · Limited investigation · Final report · May 5, 2015 · N4221G · Destroyed
  > The pilot’ failure to maintain adequate clearance from trees while maneuvering during an aerial application flight.
- [NTSB CEN13LA402](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13LA402.md): Air Tractor AT-502B · Tillar, AR · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jul 3, 2013 · N5182C · Substantial damage
  > The loss of engine throttle control during takeoff due to an unsecured cockpit throttle control pin, which resulted in a runway overrun.
- [NTSB CEN09CA533](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN09CA533.md): Air Tractor AT-502B · Whittemore, IA · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Aug 17, 2009 · N5003C · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's lack of preflight planning and remedial action with resulted in the airplane's inability to climb out of ground effect.
- [NTSB CEN09CA428](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN09CA428.md): Air Tractor AT-502B · Reydell, AR · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jul 10, 2009 · N60023 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's inability to maintain control of the airplane when it unexpectedly encountered a whirlwind shortly after takeoff.
- [NTSB DFW08LA167](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DFW08LA167.md): Air Tractor AT-502B · Bethany, MO · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jun 24, 2008 · N5005G · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's decision to take off with a known deficiency.

## 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" = '240' 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/240/sequence?model=0390307

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