Air Tractor AT802 accident near Columbus, Mississippi, September 27, 2019
On September 27, 2019 at about 2:45 pm local time, a 2017 Air Tractor AT802, registered N801BF, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Columbus, Mississippi. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power control for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 27, 2019 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Columbus, Mississippi · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT802 A, built 2017
- Registration
- N801BF · no longer on the register · serial 802A-0727
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, during a chemical application pass over a field, he saw that the engine torque "had crept up." He attempted to reduce engine torque but noticed that the power lever "felt stuck." Shortly thereafter, he again tried to move the power lever. When it would not move, he increased pressure and it "broke free." The engine power decreased to idle, and the pilot's subsequent power lever inputs had no effect. The pilot then performed a forced landing, during which the left wing impacted a tree and the airplane cartwheeled before coming to rest upright on its landing gear, resulting in substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Due to the severity of the damage to the forward section of the airplane, the cause for the momentary binding and subsequent loss of engine power control could not be established.
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
- Miscellaneous/other during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine controls › (general) › Not specified
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 25,000 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 120 in the last 30 days; 25,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,089 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 7, 2019
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-65AG (turboprop); 1,089 hours total
- Operator: Brignac Flying Service Llc
The flight
- Departed from: GTR Columbus/W Point/Starkville MS at 11:30 am
- Destination: Columbus MS
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,100 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 pm from KGTR, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on June 22, 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/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photos | PDF, 2 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.