Air Tractor INC AT 602 accident near Cash, Arkansas, July 8, 2017
On July 8, 2017 at about 7:53 pm local time, a 2006 Air Tractor INC AT 602, registered N4257R, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Cash, Arkansas. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's incapacitation due to a cardiac event, which resulted in a loss of airplane control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 8, 2017 · about 7:53 pm local time
- Place
- Cash, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor INC AT 602 NO SERIES, built 2006 · all AT 602s on the register
- Registration
- N4257R · registry record · serial 602-1146
- 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 was conducting his sixth agricultural load application of the day. Witnesses observed the airplane make a low-altitude turn and subsequently enter a spin with a nose-low attitude . The airplane subsequently impacted a rice field adjacent to the field being treated. Postaccident examination of the airframe, engine, and propeller revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot's autopsy revealed that he had severe coronary artery disease with evidence of associated heart muscle injury. No evidence was found indicating that the pilot was aware of his health issues. The coronary artery disease increased the pilot's risk of a cardiac event, which would have resulted in shortness of breath, dizziness, lightheadedness, or an irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia) with decreased cardiac output and loss of consciousness. The combination of the normal stress associated with low-altitude maneuvering and decreased cardiac output likely resulted in a sudden decrease of blood flow to the brain and the pilot's incapacitation, which resulted in his loss of airplane control.
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 maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Cardiovascular › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 4,188 hours in all; 1,300 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt And Whitney Canada PT6A-60AG (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Quad Rabbit INC
The flight
- Departed from: PRI Cash AR at 7:49 pm
- Destination: PRI Cash AR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from KJBR, 12 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 February 7, 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 | Witness Interview | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Non-volatile Memory (Nvm) Factual Report | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Non-volatile Memory (Nvm) Data - Attachment 1 to Factual Report | data file | Download |
| 4 | Photos of Wreckage | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | NTSB Medical Factual Report | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage | 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 N4257R 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.