Air Tractor AT 502 accident near Pecan Gap, Texas, April 8, 2020
On April 8, 2020, a 1992 Air Tractor AT 502, registered N9185D, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Pecan Gap, Texas. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot did not maintain adequate clearance from tree, which resulted in a collision with a tree and subsequent impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 8, 2020
- Place
- Pecan Gap, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT 502 Undesignat, built 1992
- Registration
- N9185D · no longer on the register · serial 502-0200
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting an aerial application flight. There were no witnesses to the accident, but the wreckage path was consistent with an in-flight collision with a tree near the edge of the field and subsequent impact with terrain. Examination of the wreckage revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. An autopsy was not performed; however, a review of the pilot’s medical history and postaccident medical treatment did not reveal any evidence that a preexisting medical condition contributed to the accident. The evidence is consistent with the pilot not maintaining adequate clearance from the tree, and the airplane’s collision with a tree and impact with terrain.
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
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Not specified
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,500 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 9, 2020
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Pecan Gap TX
- Destination: Pecan Gap TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 pm from KPRX
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on December 17, 2021. 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, 8 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Exam Memo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Wreckage (Non-ntsb Photo) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photos | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Maintenance Records (Excerpts) | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | 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.