Air Tractor INC AT-502B accident near Campbell, Nebraska, June 23, 2013
On June 23, 2013 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Air Tractor INC AT-502B, registered N6017E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Campbell, Nebraska (Simonton 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's decision to continue with the takeoff roll despite the airplane's difficulty becoming airborne The high-density altitude likely contributed to the airplane's reduced performance.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made September 29, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 23, 2013 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Campbell, Nebraska · Simonton · 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-502B · all AT-502Bs on the register
- Registration
- N6017E · registry record · serial 502B-0260
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Before takeoff, the airplane's hopper was about one-third full, and the fuel tanks were half full. During the takeoff roll, the airplane did not become airborne when it reached the expected point of rotation. The pilot scanned the gauges, verified full power, and increased the flaps. The airplane briefly became airborne, but then it settled to the ground. The airplane impacted a fence and rotated 180 degrees before coming to a complete stop, which resulted in substantial damage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane. Meteorological data indicated that the density altitude was about 4,100 feet. The high-density altitude likely contributed to the airplane's reduced performance.
The NTSB's narratives can run to many pages; this is the opening. Read the full report at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N6017E the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database and is rewritten in plain English only where the NTSB used codes; the probable cause and narrative are the NTSB's own words. This site 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 CEN13LA371.