Air Tractor AT 602 accident near Walls, Mississippi, July 24, 2019
On July 24, 2019 at about 4:05 pm local time, a 1998 Air Tractor AT 602, registered N50634, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Walls, Mississippi (Private Strip airport). 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 improper fuel servicing of the airplane, which resulted in water contamination of the airplane's fuel supply and a subsequent loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 24, 2019 · about 4:05 pm local time
- Place
- Walls, Mississippi · Private Strip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT 602 No Series, built 1998
- Registration
- N50634 · no longer on the register · serial 602-0481
- 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 reported that he had been conducting an aerial application flight for a few hours and returned to the airport to reload. While one loader was loading, another loader used a forklift to tilt the fuel tank so that fuel would flow toward the suction hose on the tank. The airplane was fueled with about 100 gallons of fuel. Once loading was complete, the pilot departed. He reported that the takeoff was normal until about 1/4 mile past the end of the airstrip; the airplane then lost engine power, which resulted a forced landing and substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. He reported that the airplane had been functioning normally up until that time. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed a large quantity of water contamination in the fuel system components. No other preimpact anomalies were detected. Based on the available evidence, it is likely that ground personnel’s use of the forklift to tilt the fuel tank allowed water that had settled in the bottom of the tank to be drawn into the suction hose, thereby contaminating the fuel being delivered to the airplane. The resulting contamination of the airplane's fuel supply was significant enough to result in the loss of engine power.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Aircraft servicing event during prior to flight
- Fuel contamination during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid condition
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › (general) › (general) › Incorrect service/maintenance
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-60AG (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Delta Dusters II Llc
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Walls MS at 9:05 pm
- Destination: PVT Walls MS
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from AWM, 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
2 documents, released by the NTSB on April 15, 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 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo Array | PDF, 4 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.