Air Tractor INC AT 502B accident near Dighton, Kansas, May 10, 2015
On May 10, 2015 at about 2:11 pm local time, a 2013 Air Tractor INC AT 502B, registered N879JA, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Dighton, Kansas (Dighton Airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 failure to follow the Preflight checklist and his inadequate preflight inspection, during which he failed to detect the water contamination of the fuel, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power during initial climb.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 10, 2015 · about 2:11 pm local time
- Place
- Dighton, Kansas · Dighton Airport · 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, built 2013 · all AT 502Bs on the register
- Registration
- N879JA · registry record · serial 502B-2879
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot stated that he did not observe any anomalies during his preflight inspection or during his before-takeoff engine run-up. The pilot was departing on a positioning flight when the engine lost partial power during initial climb. The pilot's corrective actions did not restore full engine power, so he made a forced landing to a nearby muddy field. The pilot reported that, after the accident, the engine continued to run with a gas generator speed of about 35% and that he cut fuel flow to the engine to shut it down. Postaccident engine examination revealed no evidence of a mechanical malfunction that would have precluded normal operation; however, an examination of the fuel system revealed water contamination in multiple tanks and filters. Laboratory testing showed that the observed water contamination exceeded the allowable limits for aviation turbine fuel. Given the amount of water contamination observed after the accident, it is likely the pilot did not adequately check the fuel condition at both wing fuel tanks, header fuel tank sump, and the fuel valve sump as required by the airplane flight manual's Preflight checklist.
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
- Preflight or dispatch event during prior to flight
- Fuel contamination during initial climb defining event
- Loss of engine power (partial) during initial climb
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid condition
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › (general) › Inadequate inspection
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Wet/muddy terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,525 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 150 in the last 30 days; 11,242 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 15, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 8,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34AG (turboprop); 974 hours total
- Operator: Jordan Air, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: K65 Dighton KS at 2:11 pm
- Destination: DDC Dodge City KS
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 23 knots, gusting 28
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 1:54 pm from GCK, 36 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N879JA 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.