Air Tractor AT-802A accident near Alpine, Texas, April 21, 2010
On April 21, 2010 at about 11:15 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-802A, registered N9197F, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Alpine, Texas. 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
A total loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 21, 2010 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Alpine, Texas · 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
- N9197F · no longer on the register · serial 802A-0009
- 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 had finished spraying a field when the "the engine popped and white smoke came out of the exhaust" and the engine lost power. The pilot attempted to land on a road, but the airplane struck a barbed wire fence and the left main gear hit a "bull hole" and sheared off. A preliminary examination and borescope of the engine revealed no anomalies with the filters and chip detectors. The fuel pump was within acceptance test procedure limits. The fuel control unit (FCU) was slightly high on Wf. The FCU base was removed to inspect the drive-bearing. There was a little organic debris in the bellows cavity. No defects or damage to the fuel pump or FCU was found that would have precluded normal operation. The Py line from the governor to the FCU pressure tested satisfactory. The engine ran in a test cell with no anomalies. Engine trim was slightly out of specifications, but acceleration and deceleration were normal. Disassembly of the combustion chamber revealed no anomalies.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise)
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (turbine/turboprop) › (general) › Malfunction
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 21,000 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 170 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 19,000 as pilot in command; 100 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 27, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,911 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, February 28, 2010; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 16,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: PT6A-65AG (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aero Tech, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: E38 Alpine TX at 9:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 18 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 11:25 pm from E38
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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 N9197F the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.