Air Tractor INC AT-602 accident near Gregory, Arkansas, December 2, 2010
On December 2, 2010 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Air Tractor INC AT-602, registered N9145H, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Gregory, Arkansas (Private 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 inadequate preflight inspection and failure to detect water contaminated fuel, which resulted in a loss of engine power during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 2, 2010 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Gregory, Arkansas · Private · 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-602 · all AT-602s on the register
- Registration
- N9145H · registry record · serial 602-0630
- 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 departed on his third aerial application flight for the day. Shortly after take-off, the engine lost power and the pilot elected to conduct a forced landing in a field. During touchdown, the airplane landed hard and received substantial damage. After the accident, the pilot reported that this was the first flight since refueling the airplane. The pilot also added that he did not check the fuel supply, prior to refueling the airplane. An examination of the airplane and refueling tanks, after the accident, revealed water was present in the fuel.
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
- Fuel contamination during initial climb defining event
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Inadequate inspection
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Not specified
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 16,500 hours in all; 6,500 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 16,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 15, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,564 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 20, 2010
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W Canada JT15D 5 SER (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Reynolds Flying Service INC
The flight
- Departed from: NA Gregory AR
- Destination: NA Gregory AR
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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 CEN11CA098.