Air Tractor AT-802A accident near Galesburg, Illinois, August 9, 2017
On August 9, 2017 at about 12:30 pm local time, a 2010 Air Tractor AT-802A, registered N528MB, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Galesburg, Illinois. 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power due to the fracture of a single 1st stage compressor rotor airfoil in high-cycle fatigue as a result of the erosion and thinning of the airfoil's leading edge. Contributing to the fractured airfoil and loss of engine power was the operator’s decision to operate the engine past the manufacturer’s recommended time between overhaul.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 2017 · about 12:30 pm local time
- Place
- Galesburg, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-802A, built 2010
- Registration
- N528MB · registry record · serial 802A-0350
- 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 on an agricultural flight when the engine lost total power. The pilot completed a forced landing in a nearby field, but he was unable to maintain directional control of the airplane after it landed in the dense soybean crop. The outboard portion of the right wing and aileron were substantially damaged during the forced landing. A postaccident engine examination revealed that a single 1st stage compressor rotor airfoil had fractured near its root. The fatigue crack originated from a thinned leading edge due to significant erosion at the bottom of the airfoil pressure side; however, the exact location of the fatigue origin could not be determined because it had been obliterated by the erosion. The observed fracture features were consistent with a crack that had progressed in highcycle fatigue. Dimensional measurements of the fractured airfoil and the two adjacent airfoils revealed that they were under the minimum requirement for an airfoil. The airfoils also exhibited evidence of fine wear scratches, characteristic of fine abrasive particles impacting the airfoil, and thinning of their leading edges. The underlying cause of the airfoil erosion could not be determined with certainty; however, based on the observed damage, it was possibly the result of environmental conditions. The engine had accumulated 4,349.3 hours since new and had never been overhauled. The engine manufacturer’s recommended time between overhaul (TBO) was 3,000 hours; however, the operator was not required to comply with the recommended TBO interval under current regulations due to the type of 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
- Loss of engine power (total) during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Loss of control on ground during landing
- Landing gear collapse during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (turbine/turboprop) › Compressor section › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Owner/builder
- Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Maintenance/inspections › Time limits › Not inspected
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 6,000 in this make and model; 450 in the last 90 days; 150 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: January 14, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,349.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2017; 99.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 16,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67AG (turboprop); 4,349 hours total
- Operator: Lesco Aviation Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: C66 Monmouth IL at 11:30 am
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 12:35 pm from GBG, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN17LA309.