Air Tractor AT502 accident near Hiawatha, Kansas, June 8, 2020
On June 8, 2020 at about 8:25 pm local time, a 1997 Air Tractor AT502, registered N5092J, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Hiawatha, Kansas (Hiawatha Municipal 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 pilot’s decision to attempt the takeoff with a tailwind in high density altitude conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 8, 2020 · about 8:25 pm local time
- Place
- Hiawatha, Kansas · Hiawatha Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT502 B, built 1997
- Registration
- N5092J · no longer on the register · serial 502B-0438
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Prior to the aerial application flight, the airplane was loaded with about 3,400 pounds (lbs) of dry fertilizer and contained about 140 gallons of fuel. The airplane’s estimated weight at the time of the accident was 9,000 lbs, with a maximum gross weight of 9,400 lbs. The pilot reported the temperature was about 95° F, the wind was from 150°; about 6 knots, and runway 35 was rough with tall grass. The calculated density altitude was about 3,900 ft. During the takeoff, the pilot attempted to rotate; however, "the aircraft was not ready to fly." The airplane impacted a field about 500 ft north of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot's recommendation to prevent the accident was "carry lighter loads, less fuel on hot days."
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 takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Effect on operation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › High density altitude › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,241 hours in all; 122 in this make and model; 52 in the last 90 days; 48 in the last 30 days; 1,184 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 25, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,028 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 12, 2020; 53 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,400 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt And Whitney PT6A-34AG (turboprop); 11,028 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: K87 Hiawatha KS at 8:25 am
- Destination: K87 Hiawatha KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 3,400 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 13 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.70 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from FNB, 12 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 July 9, 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Site Photograph | 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.