Air Tractor AT502 accident near Bronson, Michigan, August 18, 2018
On August 18, 2018 at about 9:27 pm local time, a 2012 Air Tractor AT502, registered N502RL, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Bronson, Michigan. 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 airspeed while maneuvering, which resulted in exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack, an aerodynamic stall, and loss of control at an altitude too low for recovery.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 18, 2018 · about 9:27 pm local time
- Place
- Bronson, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT502 B, built 2012
- Registration
- N502RL · no longer on the register · serial 502B-2823
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting an agricultural application flight in the turboprop-equipped airplane. Data from an onboard GPS unit showed that the airplane had completed 10 spray passes on a field, making right 180° turns after each pass to align the airplane for the subsequent pass. The airplane would climb between 500-700 ft during the first 90° of the turn, then descend during the second 90° of the turn. The airplane's groundspeed decayed to between 37 kts and 63 kts during the previous turns; however, the data did not capture the accident turn. A witness stated that he saw the airplane complete a spray pass, pull up into a near-vertical attitude, then become inverted. The airplane descended straight down and was starting to pull up when it hit the ground. The airplane impacted terrain in a wings-level, nose-low attitude. No preimpact anomalies of the airframe, engine, or propeller were found. Based on the available evidence, it is likely that the pilot failed to maintain sufficient airspeed during a turn following a spray pass, which resulted in exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack, an aerodynamic stall, and loss of airplane control at an altitude too low for recovery.
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) 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 › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,870 hours in all; 280 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,200 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 5, 2018; 310 hours since
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34AG (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Lutes Flying Service INC
The flight
- Departed from: IN65 Shipshewana IN
- Destination: IN65 Shipshewana IN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 9:35 pm from IRS, 14 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 April 23, 2020. 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 | GPS Device - Specialist's Factual Report | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Attachment 1 to GPS Device - Specialist's Factual Report | data file | Download |
| 3 | Aircraft Logbook | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Engine Logbook | PDF, 13 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Air Tractor - Airframe Accident Report | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Photo Array | PDF, 7 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.