Air Tractor AT802 accident near Unalakleet, Alaska, June 1, 2020
On June 1, 2020, a 2018 Air Tractor AT802, registered N779DA, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Unalakleet, Alaska. It was a firefighting flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain terrain clearance during the departure, which resulted in a collision with terrain..
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 1, 2020
- Place
- Unalakleet, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT802 FIREBOSS, built 2018
- Registration
- N779DA · registry record · serial 802A-0779
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Firefighting flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the amphibious scooper air tanker airplane, reported that while preforming aerial firefighting operations, he heard ground firefighters express concern over the radio about their equipment "being too close to the fire line." In response, the pilot landed at a small lake to fill the airplane's water hopper tank with water to drop on the fire. During the departure from the lake, the airplane’s left float struck a "small hill" that was about 20 ft above ground level. The pilot proceeded to fly the airplane to a nearby airport and made an uneventful landing. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Collision during takeoff/land during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Mountainous/hilly terrain › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,000 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 10,700 as pilot in command; 3,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 1, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 205.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 19, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 16,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67F (turboprop); 205 hours total
- Operator: Aero Spray Inc
The flight
- Departed from: GAL Galena AK
- Destination: GAL Galena AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 15 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.45 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 pm from PAUN, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on August 10, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Pictures | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.