- Date
- July 22, 2025, 10:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hastings, NE
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N502KBAir Tractor AT502
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 2, 2025
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20250722008699A
- Case key
- 200605
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from powerlines while maneuvering at low altitude.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot performed an aerial application flight to a field using north and south spray passes. After completion of the field application, he maneuvered for a clean-up pass and thought he was at a higher altitude when the airplane collided with a power line to the west of the field. The pilot lost control of the airplane and it impacted terrain resulting in substantial damage to the left wing and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N502KB
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT502 (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 502B-2748
- Built
- 2011
- Airframe hours
- 4,380.2
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34AG, 750 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Meyers Aerial Service LLC
- Registered owner
- Meyers Aerial Service LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 22, 2024
- Departed
- KHSI · Hastings, NE
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, ADS-B
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 22
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 5, 2025
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,098.6 total · 410.9 in this make and model · 1,031.3 as pilot in command · 176.7 in the last 90 days · 143.9 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 8 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- KHSI, 4 nm away
- METAR
- KHSI 221653Z AUTO 18008G17KT 10SM CLR 27/19 A2993 RMK AO2 SLP119 T02670189
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 2, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.8 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.