Air Tractor INC AT 502B accident near Minden, Nebraska, July 29, 2014
On July 29, 2014 at about 12:40 pm local time, a 2012 Air Tractor INC AT 502B, registered N502NR, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Minden, Nebraska. 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 pilot's inadequate survey of the aerial application field which resulted in a collision with a windmill.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 29, 2014 · about 12:40 pm local time
- Place
- Minden, Nebraska · 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 B, built 2012 · all AT 502Bs on the register
- Registration
- N502NR · registry record · serial 502B-2817
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a pass of the aerial application flight, the airplane collided with a windmill at the edge of the field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. In addition, the pilot stated he did not observe the windmill during his survey of the field prior to beginning the application to field.
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
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 14,000 hours in all; 1,660 in this make and model; 154 in the last 90 days; 82 in the last 30 days; 14,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 18, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 488.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 8,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt And Whitney PT6A-34A6 (turboprop); 586 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0V3 Minden NE at 12:30 pm
- Destination: Minden NE
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 7,500 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
- Observation at 12:15 pm from KEAR, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on May 18, 2015. 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 |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.