Air Tractor AT-802A accident near Linden, Alabama, October 13, 2006
On October 13, 2006 at about 9:20 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-802A, registered N8504T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Linden, Alabama (Stother Landing 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
The pilot's attempt to takeoff downwind resulting in the airplane not clearing trees at the end of the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 13, 2006 · about 9:20 pm local time
- Place
- Linden, Alabama · Stother Landing Strip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-802A
- Registration
- N8504T · registry record · serial 820A-0218
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he took off downwind with trees at the end of the strip. The airplane was heavily loaded and did not get airborne quick enough. Examination of the airplane by an FAA Inspector found that the airplane had struck trees at the end of the runway and impacted the ground, causing substantial damage to both wings and the empennage. There were no mechanical problems reported by the pilot or discovered during the post-accident examination of the airplane.
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: 9,500 hours in all; 2,200 in this make and model; 350 in the last 90 days; 120 in the last 30 days; 9,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 635 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 1, 2006; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 16,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67AG (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Thrash Aviation Inc
The flight
- Departed from: Linden AL at 7:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 180, 2,200 ft by 175 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from MEI
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.
Other NTSB records under N8504T the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL07CA011.