- Date
- March 1, 2026, 11:42 local (17:42 UTC)
- Place
- Larose, LA · Wooded area near: 349 E 25th St Larose, LA 70373
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5063NAir Tractor AT-502
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 30, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Baton Rouge FSDO
- FAA report
- 20260301007219A
- Case key
- 202571
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 improper fuel planning and his failure to adequately monitor the fuel level during flight, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, and a total loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of attention performing the task, which led to a loss of situational awareness.
Findings · 8
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 of the aerial application airplane applied the liquid chemical load to a field of sugarcane. The airplane was returning to the private airstrip with an empty hopper when a total loss of engine power occurred. The pilot performed a forced landing to a wooded area. The airplane came to rest upright, and the pilot was able to egress from the airplane without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and to both wings. During the airplane recovery operation, less than two gallons of Jet A fuel were recovered from the two wing fuel tanks and the header fuel tank. The pilot reported that during the aerial application work, he lost track of the time, he spent more time in his low-level turns than needed, and the airplane ran out of fuel. The operator reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane was not equipped with a low fuel warning light system, nor was it required to be. According to the airframe manufacturer, a low fuel warning light system is available for certain serial numbered airplanes, and the retrofit installation is encouraged in two of their previously released service letters.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5063N
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-502 (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 502B-0471
- Built
- 1997
- Airframe hours
- 14,674
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34AG, 750 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Old River Applicators LLC, doing business as Old River Applicators LLC
- Registered owner
- Old River Applicators LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 23, 2025
- Departed
- PVT · Cut Off, LA
- Destination
- PVT · Cut Off, LA
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Stall warning system
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
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 1, 2025
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 633 total · 350 in this make and model · 554 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 9 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
- Observed at
- KGAO, 8 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KGAO 011735Z AUTO 11009G17KT 10SM CLR 23/14 A3019 RMK AO2 T02260137
Docket · 8
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 30, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 8.7 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.