Air Tractor INC AT-502B accident near Nauvoo, Illinois, July 15, 2013
On July 15, 2013 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Air Tractor INC AT-502B, registered N6113C, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Nauvoo, Illinois. 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
A fatigue failure of an engine compressor turbine blade, which resulted in extensive secondary engine damage and a complete loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 15, 2013 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Nauvoo, Illinois · 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
- N6113C · no longer on the register · serial 502B-0275
- 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 reported that, as he was setting up for the initial aerial application run, he heard a "loud explosion," at which point, the propeller stopped turning. Metallic debris emitted from the engine exhaust, which was followed by grinding noises coming from the engine. The pilot executed a forced landing to a soybean field, which resulted in the right main landing gear collapsing and the right wing sustaining substantial damage. A postaccident engine examination revealed that one compressor turbine blade separated from the disc as a result of fatigue. The remaining engine damage was due to the secondary impact of blade fragments during the failure sequence. Further examination of the initial compressor blade fracture surface was limited by the secondary damage sustained during the event.
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 maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (turbine/turboprop) › Compressor section › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (turbine/turboprop) › Compressor section › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 19,976 hours in all; 3,500 in this make and model; 350 in the last 90 days; 250 in the last 30 days; 19,976 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 10, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,961 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 6, 2013; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6A-34AG (turboprop); 9,961 hours total
- Operator: Air Advantage Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: IS51 Carthage IL at 4:25 pm
- Destination: IS51 Carthage IL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.25 inHg
- Observation at 4:35 pm from FSW, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on November 12, 2014. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Engine Maintenance Logbook | PDF, 22 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Summary of Metallurgy Examination | 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 N6113C 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.