Air Tractor INC AT 502 accident near Dell, Arkansas, June 16, 2014
On June 16, 2014 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 1992 Air Tractor INC AT 502, registered N9184T, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Dell, Arkansas. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to establish a proper airspeed during takeoff with the airplane near its maximum gross weight in high-density altitude and gusting crosswind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 16, 2014 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Dell, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor INC AT 502, built 1992 · all AT 502s on the register
- Registration
- N9184T · no longer on the register · serial 502-0199
- 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 on the last flight of the day, the airplane's hopper was almost completely loaded with dry fertilizer material before takeoff and that its takeoff weight was 7,918.83 lbs; the airplane's maximum gross weight was 8,000 lbs. After the fertilizer was loaded, the pilot attempted to depart to the west. During takeoff, the engine was operating at 2,200 rpm (high power), and the airplane got "onto the step," but it did not lift off as expected, so the pilot hit the emergency load dump. The airplane still would not climb, and it subsequently collided with an embankment at the end of the runway, cartwheeled into a field, and then came to rest upright. The pilot reported that he did not notice a change in the engine sound and was confident that the flight controls did not malfunction. The local weather was wind from 170 degrees at 8 knots gusting to 15 knots, and the density altitude was calculated to be 2,377 feet. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Based on the available evidence, it is likely that the pilot rotated the airplane early. It is also likely that the combined effects of the airplane's near maximum gross weight, the high-density altitude, and the gusting crosswind conditions contributed to the airplane's sluggishness when climbing.
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 control in flight during takeoff
- Collision during takeoff/land during takeoff defining event
- Other weather encounter during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on equipment
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › High density altitude › Effect on equipment
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Maximum weight › Not specified
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 8,626 hours in all; 340 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 90 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: November 7, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,340 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 9, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 8,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-34 (turboprop); 9,340 hours total
- Operator: Simpson Air INC
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Dell AR at 4:30 pm
- Destination: PVT Dell AR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,300 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 8 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds; a few clouds at 3,800 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from KBYH, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on August 11, 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 | Record of Conversation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Aircraft Logbook Excerpt | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo 1. Main Wreckage (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Photo 2. Main Wreckage, Close Up (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | 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.
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.