Air Tractor INC AT 402A incident near Brickeys, Arkansas, April 4, 2015
On April 4, 2015 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 2000 Air Tractor INC AT 402A, registered N623LA, suffered minor damage in an incident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Brickeys, Arkansas (Dawson'S 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 in-flight separation of the attachment hardware at the elevator control pushrod due to maintenance personnel's improper reinstallation of the attachment hardware.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 4, 2015 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Brickeys, Arkansas · Dawson'S Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor INC AT 402A, built 2000 · all AT 402As on the register
- Registration
- N623LA · registry record · serial 402A-1127
- Damage
- Minor 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, during an agricultural application pass, the elevator control felt abnormal. The pilot chose to return to the airport and noted that the elevator control was unresponsive. The pilot attempted to maintain pitch control by using the elevator trim, but turbulence made this difficult. During the off-field landing, the airplane's nose pitched down. The pilot countered with nose-up trim, and the airplane stalled and then impacted the ground, which resulted in minor damage to the propeller. A postincident examination revealed that the attachment hardware, including the bolt and nut, at the elevator pushrod had separated. Maintenance had been performed on the elevator control pushrod about 20 hours before the incident flight, and the bolt and nut would have been removed and reinstalled during this maintenance. It is likely that maintenance personnel did not properly reinstall the attachment hardware after performing the maintenance.
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 (low-alt flying) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Elevator control system › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 25,201 hours in all; 22.2 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 75 in the last 30 days; 20,785 as pilot in command; 1,759 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 8, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,476.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 3, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 9,170 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6-11AE (turboprop); 6,521 hours total
- Operator: Taylor Air Service LLC
The flight
- Departed from: 15AR Brickeys AR at 5:30 pm
- Destination: 15AR Brickeys AR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.36 inHg
- Observation at 7:35 pm from UTA, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N623LA 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: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. 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 CEN15IA200.