WPR26LA204

NTSB accident investigation · Air Tractor AT-602 · Robbins, CA · May 30, 2026

Accident · Minor injuriesClass 3 · LimitedPreliminary report
Date
May 30, 2026, 09:00 local (16:00 UTC)
Place
Robbins, CA
Injuries
1 minor
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Enroute
Aircraft
N5111AAir Tractor AT-602
Defining event
Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Investigation ongoing
Investigation class
Class 3
NTSB office
Western Pacific Region
Parties
Federal Aviation Administration
Case key
203102

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

On this page

Preliminary report

What NTSB knew early in the investigation. It may change in the final report.

On May 30, 2026, about 0900 Pacific daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-602, N5111A, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Robbins, California. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 Agricultural Aircraft Operations. The pilot reported that he was on an aerial seeding flight and that about 45 minutes after refueling he maneuvered toward a private airstrip to replenish his load. He added that the engine lost all power during a brief climb prior to landing at the airstrip when he was about 300 feet above ground level. After the pilot heard the engine spool down, the airplane started to sink. Subsequently, the pilot configured the airplane for best glide and executed a forced landing in a paddy field. The airplane nosed over shortly after touchdown and came to rest inverted, which resulted in substantial damage to the empennage. The airplane and engine were recovered to a secure facility for further examination.

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.

Aircraft

Registration
N5111A
Reported as
Air Tractor AT-602
Category
Airplane
Serial number
602-0427
Built
1997
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Aerial application · Part 137
Operator
Basin Aviation Inc
Registered owner
Basin Aviation Inc
Departed
Robbins, CA
Airport
NA

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.

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
150° at 6 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Temperature
63 °F, dew point 54 °F
Altimeter
30.10 inHg
Observed at
KSMF, 11 nm away
METAR
METAR KSMF 301553Z 15006KT 10SM FEW250 17/12 A3010 RMK AO2 SLP191 T01670117 $

Other investigations on N5111A · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.