Air Tractor AT 602 accident near Mamou, Louisiana, April 21, 2020
On April 21, 2020 at about 11:00 pm local time, a 2002 Air Tractor AT 602, registered N653LA, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Mamou, Louisiana (Deculus Satellite Airstrip 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 airplane's encounter with a sunken area during takeoff from a turf runway, which resulted in the airplane becoming prematurely airborne and impacting a tree and then terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 21, 2020 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Mamou, Louisiana · Deculus Satellite Airstrip · 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 2002
- Registration
- N653LA · no longer on the register · serial 602-0653
- 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 the turf airstrip had a "sunken area," which created a "ramp." During takeoff, the airplane encountered this portion of the airstrip and became "airborne prematurely." The airplane subsequently settled into ground effect; however, the left wing impacted a small tree near the end of the runway, and the airplane then pitched "downward and left," and the airplane was unable to maintain altitude. The airplane impacted a field off the end of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 during takeoff/land during takeoff defining event
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › (general) › Effect on operation
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 7,700 hours in all; 756 in this make and model; 125 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 7,618 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 8, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,550 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 17, 2020; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-60AG (turboprop); 9,550 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Mamou LA at 11:10 pm
- Destination: PVT Mamou LA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,550 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from ACP, 15 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 May 19, 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 | Accident Photos | 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.
Other NTSB records under N653LA 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.