Air Tractor AT-502 accident near Ropesville, Texas, June 6, 2016
On June 6, 2016 at about 6:16 pm local time, a 1990 Air Tractor AT-502, registered N10325, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Ropesville, 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 airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall while maneuvering.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 6, 2016 · about 6:16 pm local time
- Place
- Ropesville, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-502, built 1990
- Registration
- N10325 · no longer on the register · serial 502-0078
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot stated that during a routine aerial application, he circled the airplane around the field to be sprayed to locate obstacles. He sprayed the field from north to south and made passes from east to west. During the third pass, when the airplane exited the field to the west to return for an eastward pass, he felt the airplane shake at the apex of the turn. He said that he corrected for the shake/stall, and the shaking quit for a moment. He then felt the right wing "take a hard dip." The airplane entered a right roll, impacted the ground, and was destroyed. The pilot reported that there was no mechanical malfunction or failure of the airplane. It is likely that, while maneuvering, the pilot failed to maintain the proper airspeed and exceeded the airplane's critical angle of attack, which led to 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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Loss of lift during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Attempted remediation/recovery 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 Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 401 hours in all; 67 in this make and model; 0 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days; 234 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 9,400 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W Canada PT6A-60A (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: T-C Aerial LLC
The flight
- Departed from: LIU Littlefield TX at 5:45 pm
- Destination: LIU Littlefield TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 30,000 ft; scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from LBB, 22 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 April 30, 2019. 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, 11 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.