Air Tractor AT-402 accident near Beyersville, Texas, March 29, 2016
On March 29, 2016 at about 10:30 pm local time, a 1991 Air Tractor AT-402, registered N4555E, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Beyersville, Texas. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain visual separation from the power line due to a lack of identifiable and contrasting features, which led to an inflight collision with the line while maneuvering in gray, hazy conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 29, 2016 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Beyersville, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-402, built 1991
- Registration
- N4555E · no longer on the register · serial 402-0811
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Before conducting the aerial application flight, the pilot circled the application site four times in order to identify obstructions. He saw power line poles on the east and west sides of the field, but he did not see an older, unmarked power line pole in the middle of the field, nor the associated powerline that ran across the field. The pilot began the application, and, during the fourth pass, the right wing impacted the powerline. The pilot stated that it was a gray and hazy day, which made the power pole and line difficult to see, and he also stated that he was unfamiliar with the application site. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Awareness of condition
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › (general) › Ability to respond/compensate
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Haze/smoke › Ability to respond/compensate
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,500 hours in all; 1,350 in this make and model; 220 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 9,300 as pilot in command; 120 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 18, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,647.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 12, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt&Whitney PT6A-27 (turboprop); 6,871 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Burlington TX at 9:00 pm
- Destination: Beyersville TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from AUS, 24 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 December 12, 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, 10 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.