Air Tractor AT402 accident near Pine Bluff, Arkansas, June 17, 2020
On June 17, 2020 at about 11:00 pm local time, a 2019 Air Tractor AT402, registered N1532H, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Pine Bluff, Arkansas. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which led to an aerodynamic stall and a loss of airplane control. Contributing was a partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 17, 2020 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Pine Bluff, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT402, built 2019
- Registration
- N1532H · no longer on the register · serial 402-0852
- 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, during an aerial application flight, a partial loss of engine power occurred while he was performing the first climbing turn to reverse course. The airplane subsequently descended and impacted terrain in a near vertical attitude. Postaccident examination of the engine and its components revealed no preimpact anomalies. The reason for the partial loss of engine power could not be determined with the available evidence for this accident investigation. Given the airplane’s near-vertical descent, it is likely that the pilot exceeded the airplane’s critical angle of attack during the climbing turn, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and a loss of airplane control from which the pilot was unable to recover.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Loss of engine power (partial) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 19, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-28 (turboprop); 37,500 hours total
- Operator: Farm Brothers Flyers A LLC
The flight
- Departed from: PBF Pine Bluff AR
- Destination: PBF Pine Bluff AR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from KPBF, 4 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 July 26, 2023. 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 | Record of Conversation, Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum of Engine and Components Examination Summary | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Maintenance Logbooks | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Lab Report Summary | 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.
Other NTSB records under N1532H 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.