Air Tractor AT802 accident near Reyno, Arkansas, July 18, 2017
On July 18, 2017 at about 10:10 pm local time, a 2017 Air Tractor AT802, registered N816FF, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Reyno, Arkansas. 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
The pilot’s inadvertent use of the propeller control, which caused the propeller to feather while in flight with the engine still operating, resulting in a loss of thrust and a subsequent forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 2017 · about 10:10 pm local time
- Place
- Reyno, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT802 A, built 2017
- Registration
- N816FF · registry record · serial 802A-0714
- 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 returning to the landing strip after an uneventful spray flight when he noticed a rapid increase in engine torque shortly after he made a power reduction. The pilot stated that he “looked at my levers and pushed the prop lever all the way forward.” According to the pilot, there was insufficient thrust to maintain altitude and he made a forced landing in an open field. The airplane’s left wing impacted the ground during landing and the airplane skidded sideways to a stop. The right wingtip, right aileron, and right elevator were substantially damaged. Examination and bench testing revealed no evidence of a mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal engine operation. Engine control continuity was confirmed from the cockpit levers to their respective engine components, and the engine controls moved smoothly through their full range of motion. An analysis of the airplane’s engine monitor data revealed that the pilot had mistakenly moved the cockpit propeller lever instead of the power lever while he maneuvered to land. When the pilot moved the propeller control aft it increased propeller pitch which, in turn, decreased propeller speed (Np). As Np decreased there was a corresponding increase in engine torque. The data analysis revealed that Np decreased to the point where the constant speed unit (CSU) feather valve dumped oil pressure, and the propeller feathered. Engine torque then rapidly increased above the 5,100 ft-lbs limitation. Shortly after the propeller feathered, there was a rapid increase in fuel flow and engine torque, consistent with the pilot moving the power lever full forward with the propeller still feathered. The gas generator speed (Ng) and fuel flow remained relatively constant and the engine torque remained above 6,600 ft-lbs until the engine was shut down after the accident.
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
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Miscellaneous/other during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Propeller system › Propeller feather/reversing › Incorrect use/operation
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 11,413 hours in all; 4,317 in this make and model; 325 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 11,378 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 25, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 28, 2017; 8.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 16,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65AG (turboprop); 9 hours total
- Operator: C & C Flying Service Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Reyno AR at 10:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 10:15 pm from 4M9, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
11 documents, released by the NTSB on June 9, 2021. 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 | FAA Inspector Statement (Bill Kelly) | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | On-scene Examination Report (Air Tractor) | PDF, 21 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Engine Removal Report (Air Tractor) | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Power Quadrant Comparison (Air Tractor) | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Engine Examination Report (Pratt and Whitney) | PDF, 44 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Engine Monitor Data (Accident Flight) | data file | Download |
| 8 | Engine Monitor Data Plots | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Weather | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 11 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | 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.
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.