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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 7, 2013 · about 10:00 pm local time · cases in 2013
- 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 other cases naming the flight controls
- 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
4 documents, released by the NTSB on November 26, 2013. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 12 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Extract from Parts Manual | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Other Pertinent Forms and Reports (Memo for Record) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N198LA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N198LA on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Air Tractor Inc AT-502 502 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Engine: P&W PT6A SER 2,218 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Arkansas 1,582 since 1982 · 177 in the last ten years
- Arkansas 3,491 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N198LA 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN13LA168.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.