Air Tractor AT-802A accident near Lindsay, Nebraska, August 8, 2010
On August 8, 2010 at about 6:05 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-802A, registered N802BG, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Lindsay, Nebraska. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of airplane control for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation and evidence was insufficient to definitively establish whether the pilot was impaired or incapacitated.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 8, 2010 · about 6:05 pm local time
- Place
- Lindsay, Nebraska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-802A
- Registration
- N802BG · no longer on the register · serial 802A-0364
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had been spraying fungicide on corn fields when the accident occurred. There were no witnesses to the accident. Examination of the accident site indicated that the airplane had impacted the ground at a high angle and that there was a post-impact fire. Engine examination bore evidence consistent with power being developed at the time of impact. No preimpact malfunctions or failures were found that would have precluded normal operation. Autopsy of the pilot revealed non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy, but the severity could not be determined. Since the pilot did not have any known personal physician and there was no evidence that he had ever sought treatment for this condition, it is likely that it had gone undiagnosed. Patients diagnosed with non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy who also have significant left ventricular dysfunction are at increased risk for sudden cardiac death. The pilot had a significant risk factor for cardiac arrhythmias, but the fact that he had significant bleeding associated with the injuries due to the accident suggests that he did not experience sudden cardiac death before impact. The possibility of preimpact impairment or incapacitation of the pilot could not be definitively established.
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 control in flight during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Cardiovascular › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Physical › Health/Fitness › Predisposing condition › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 4,445 hours in all; 70 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: July 7, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 183 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 23, 2010; 183 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 16,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt&Whitney-Canada PT6A-60AG (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Alan East Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: OFK Norfolk NE at 4:50 pm
- Destination: Lindsay NE
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.76 inHg
- Observation at 6:56 pm from OFK, 16 miles away
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.
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.