Air Tractor INC AT-502 accident near Forrest City, Arkansas, February 7, 2013
On February 7, 2013 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Air Tractor INC AT-502, registered N198LA, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Forrest City, Arkansas. It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The in-flight separation of the left aileron's push-pull rod and hardware. Contributing to the accident was the failure of maintenance personnel to apply proper torque to the self-locking nuts.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 7, 2013 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Forrest City, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor INC AT-502 · all AT-502s on the register
- Registration
- N198LA · registry record · serial 502-0198
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After making an agricultural application, the pilot made a climbing left turn; the airplane then began vibrating and shaking. The pilot was able to return the airplane to level flight, but it rocked left and right, with the left aileron going up and down from stop to stop. The pilot chose to perform an emergency landing in a field next to an airport. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the two aileron push-pull rod bolts were missing. The bolts and associated hardware were not located among the wreckage. The airplane had undergone extensive maintenance about 5 months before the accident. A review of the airplane's maintenance manual revealed that the nuts installed in the airplane control system are self-locking nuts, which can loosen if insufficient torque is applied to them. It is likely that maintenance personnel applied improper torque to the aileron's push-pull rod self-locking nuts, which resulted in the eventual loosening of the nuts and the separation of the left aileron's push-pull rod and hardware.
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
- Flight control sys malf/fail during maneuvering defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Aileron control system › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 22,300 hours in all; 15 in the last 90 days; 22,300 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2013
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6A SER (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: South Delta Aviation INC
The flight
- Departed from: Forrest City AR
- Destination: Forrest City AR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,200 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from KAWM
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 N198LA 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.