Air Tractor INC AT-602 accident near Branch, Louisiana, June 4, 2015
On June 4, 2015 at about 8:00 pm local time, a 1997 Air Tractor INC AT-602, registered N5035R, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Branch, Louisiana (Mid South Flying Service Landi 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An exceedance of the airplane's takeoff/climb capability, which resulted in a stall during initial climb at an altitude that was too low for recovery.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 4, 2015 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Branch, Louisiana · Mid South Flying Service Landi · 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-602, built 1997 · all AT-602s on the register
- Registration
- N5035R · no longer on the register · serial 602-0426
- 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 was departing in tailwind conditions on an aerial application flight from a 1,800-foot-long turf runway with a full payload of fertilizer. The pilot stated that the engine lost power during initial climb and that he had insufficient time to dump the payload before impacting a pond off the end of the runway. Examination of the engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. According to the airplane manufacturer's calculations, the calculated takeoff distance given the conditions present at the time of the accident exceeded the runway length available; however, the airplane's performance specifications were not available in the POH, which precluded the pilot from conducting performance calculations before takeoff. It is likely that, as the airplane neared the end of the runway, the pilot lifted the airplane off the ground prematurely and attempted to climb at a steep attitude, which exceeded the airplane's critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
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 initial climb
- Loss of lift during initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Takeoff distance › Attain/maintain not possible
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Performance calculations › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not specified
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incomplete action › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 10,600 hours in all; 450 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: February 12, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,029.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 20, 2015; 8,288 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,900 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt&Whitney PT6A-60AG (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Richard Flying Service INC
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Branch LA at 8:00 pm
- Destination: PVT Branch LA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 180, 1,800 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,900 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 pm from OPL, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on September 6, 2016. 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 | Pilot Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation - FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Record of Conversation - Air Tractor Performance | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Record of Examination - Engine | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Weather Observations at Klft | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Weather Observations Kopl | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | 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 N5035R 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.