Air Tractor Inc. AT-502 accident near Monroeville, Alabama, April 28, 2006
On April 28, 2006 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Air Tractor Inc. AT-502, registered N1014D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Monroeville, Alabama (Private Grass Strip airport). It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 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
Partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons, which resulted in a forced landing and subsequent nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 28, 2006 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Monroeville, Alabama · Private Grass Strip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor Inc. AT-502
- Registration
- N1014D · no longer on the register · serial 502-0058
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he was climbing the airplane to 500 feet above ground level and heading to a field 10 miles northeast of the private airstrip. During the climb, the airplane was almost at the intended altitude when the pilot noticed that the internal turbine temperature on the engine was rising and started to lose engine power. The pilot made a forced landing into a soft field and the airplane nosed over. There was a post-impact fire around the engine compartment. Examination of the engine found the power turbine blades fractured with some axial movement noted. Circumferential rub marks were noted on the aft side of the blade roots and disk fir tree slots. The compressor screen was removed and no dents were noted, and all first stage blades were observed intact and rotated freely. No foreign object damage was noted. The engine was split at the "C" flange and some compressor turbine blades were observed fractured at mid-span with trailing edge deformation. No discrepancies were observed in the P3 system. The fuel control unit was impact damaged. The teardown inspection indicated that the engine was operating at the time of impact. Examination did not reveal evidence of uncontainment, case rupture, pre-impact malfunction, or in-flight fire.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 9,232 hours in all; 550 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 9,167 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,101.9 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 1, 2006; 103 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT-6A-15AG (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Monroeville AL at 8:25 pm
- Destination: Monroeville AL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from GZH, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.