Air Tractor AT-602 accident near Wheatley, Arkansas, July 11, 2018
On July 11, 2018 at about 11:30 am local time, a 2003 Air Tractor AT-602, registered N8508P, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Wheatley, 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 failure to maintain clearance from terrain for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 11, 2018 · about 11:30 am local time
- Place
- Wheatley, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-602, built 2003
- Registration
- N8508P · no longer on the register · serial 602-0670
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A witness reported that the commercial pilot departed on the agricultural application flight to spray a 40-acre field about 5 miles from the airport. He reported that the pilot had loaded the airplane with 400 gallons of chemical before the flight and that the airplane's fuel tanks were full. There were no witnesses to the accident. The wreckage was found in a wooded area between two open fields about 1/3 mile west of the application field. Examination of the accident site indicated that the airplane impacted the top of a berm in an approximate wings-level attitude. Flight control continuity could not be established from the flight controls to their respective attach points on the flight control surfaces due to impact and fire damage; however, all control separations were consistent with overload failure or fire damage. Examination of the engine and propeller revealed characteristics consistent with significant engine power at the time of impact. Examination revealed no anomalies and that would have precluded normal operation of the airframe or engine. The airplane's wings-level impact attitude is not consistent with a loss of control, and there was no indication of a wire or tree strike either in the wreckage or in the area surrounding the accident site. Toxicology testing and autopsy of the pilot revealed no evidence of physiological impairment or incapacitation; therefore, the reason the pilot did not maintain clearance from terrain could not be determined.
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
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 4,023 hours in all
- Last flight review: May 15, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,965.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 12, 2018
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-60AG (turboprop); 7,232 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: D-Ger LLC
The flight
- Departed from: M36 Brinkley AR at 11:00 am
- Destination: M36 Brinkley AR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 200 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 am from LIT, 56 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.
Other NTSB records under N8508P 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.