Air Tractor AT 602 accident near Bunkie, Louisiana, February 22, 2020
On February 22, 2020 at about 9:20 pm local time, a 2005 Air Tractor AT 602, registered N602BK, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Bunkie, Louisiana (Bunkie Flying Service airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 pilot's failure to lock the tailwheel before landing, which resulted in his loss of directional control during the landing roll, a runway excursion onto soft ground, and a subsequent ground loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 22, 2020 · about 9:20 pm local time
- Place
- Bunkie, Louisiana · Bunkie Flying Service · 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 2005
- Registration
- N602BK · registry record · serial 602-1128
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was performing a straight-in approach and landing. The airplane touched down on the runway centerline, and it was under control. After the tailwheel settled onto the runway, the pilot applied the brakes and retarded the engine power to the beta range. Shortly after, the airplane began to swerve left. The pilot's efforts to maintain directional control were unsuccessful, and the airplane departed the left side of the runway, encountered soft ground, and ground looped. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, right wing, and vertical stabilizer. The pilot noted that he did not ensure that the tailwheel lock was engaged before landing.
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 control on ground during landing defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing
- Runway excursion during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 16,964 hours in all; 505 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 15,479 as pilot in command; 668 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 16, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,966.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 22, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-60AG (turboprop); 8,967 hours total
- Operator: Bunkie Flying Service Inc
The flight
- Departed from: Iota LA at 9:05 pm
- Destination: 2LA4 Bunkie LA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.37 inHg
- Observation at 8:15 pm from KOPL, 23 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 March 30, 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 | Photo | PDF, 1 page | 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.