Air Tractor AT 602 accident near Dumas, Arkansas, February 25, 2020
On February 25, 2020 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 1999 Air Tractor AT 602, registered N5197Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Dumas, Arkansas. 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 failure to maintain clearance from a power line pole during a low-level aerial application flight, which resulted in impact with the bracket and a subsequent forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 25, 2020 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Dumas, Arkansas · 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 1999
- Registration
- N5197Y · no longer on the register · serial 602-0529
- 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 after completing a low-level aerial application over a field, he executed a trim pass on the north side of the field. While flying between 160 and 180 mph, the airplane’s propeller impacted a metal bracket attached to the top of a 35-ft power line pole. After the impact, there were "extreme" vibrations throughout the engine and airframe, and oil from the engine coated the front three windshield panels. The pilot attempted to clear the oil with the windshield wiper system but was not successful. The pilot maneuvered the airplane to perform an emergency landing to a dirt road about 1/2 mile north of the power line pole. Both wings and the rudder sustained substantial damage during the forced 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
- Miscellaneous/other during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Attempted remediation/recovery during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Loss of control on ground during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Pole › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,867 hours in all; 2,887 in this make and model; 37.2 in the last 90 days; 37.2 in the last 30 days; 7,842 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 30, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,051 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 29, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-60AG (turboprop); 10,051 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: None Tillar AR
- Destination: None Tillar AR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,600 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 4:25 pm from KLLQ, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on June 26, 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 Photographs | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Various Records of Conversations | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Suncalc.org Sun Data | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | NTSB Party Member Form | 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.