Air Tractor Inc AT-502 accident near Fergus Falls, Minnesota, July 22, 2011
On July 22, 2011, a Air Tractor Inc AT-502, registered N1516G, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Fergus Falls, Minnesota (Fergus Falls Municipal 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 total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because the airplane came to rest inverted in water.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 22, 2011
- Place
- Fergus Falls, Minnesota · Fergus Falls Municipal Airport · 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 · all AT-502s on the register
- Registration
- N1516G · no longer on the register · serial 502-0153
- 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, while returning to the airport at the end of a 1-hour aerial application flight, the airplane experienced a gradual loss of engine power. The engine then lost all power, and the pilot performed a forced landing to a field immersed in water. The airplane nosed over during the landing, and the airframe and engine were immersed in the water. The pilot stated that the airplane had been fueled from a 300 gallon tank used to shuttle fuel. Examination of the wreckage, which took place 12 days after the accident, revealed no fuel within the examined portions of the fuel system, and water contamination within the fuel control unit and fuel pump. Determination of whether the lack of fuel noted was due to the airplane's inverted position and the time of the examination or whether the contamination was due to the water immersion could not be made.
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) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 10,970 hours in all; 4,000 in this make and model; 212 in the last 90 days; 140 in the last 30 days; 10,970 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 4, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,559.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 15, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 8,000 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt And Whitney PT6A-15AG (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Farmers Union Oil Company
The flight
- Departed from: FFM Fergus Falls MN at 11:10 pm
- Destination: FFM Fergus Falls MN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
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.