Air Tractor AT 602 accident near Weldon, Arkansas, July 3, 2020
On July 3, 2020 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 2014 Air Tractor AT 602, registered N602NY, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Weldon, 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 total loss of engine power during cruise flight for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 3, 2020 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Weldon, 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 2014
- Registration
- N602NY · no longer on the register · serial 602-1245
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During an aerial application flight, the pilot was returning to the airplane’s base when the engine "spooled down” and lost total power. The pilot stated that, when the total loss of engine power occurred, the airplane was established in cruise flight at an altitude of about 400 ft above ground level. He was unable to restore engine power by moving the power and propeller levers to full forward and activating the fuel boost pump and ignitors. The pilot made a “firm” forced landing in an open field. The airplane made a ground loop, which caused the tailwheel to separate and resulted in substantial damage to the aft fuselage. Postaccident examination of the fuel system revealed ample fuel remaining and no evidence of contamination. The engine operated normally during two postaccident ground tests. Thus, the reasons for the total loss of engine power during the accident flight could not be determined with the available evidence from the investigation.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Loss of control on ground during landing
- Landing gear collapse during landing
- Unknown or undetermined during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,080 hours in all; 487 in this make and model; 210 in the last 90 days; 75 in the last 30 days; 5,954 as pilot in command; 981 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 31, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,521.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 15, 2020; 210.7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-65AG (turboprop); 1,522 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Weldon AR at 9:50 pm
- Destination: PVT Weldon AR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from M19, 10 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KM19 032156Z AUTO 25007KT 10SM CLR 33/24 A2990 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT NE SLP122 T03280239=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
10 documents, released by the NTSB on November 1, 2022. 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 | Memorandum of Conversation (David H Freppon) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum of Conversation (Will Dawson) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Email Concerning Fuel Remaining After Postaccident Engine Runup | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Email Concerning Postaccident Engine Run by Frost Aviation Inc | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | FAA Inspector Statement | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Airframe Logbook | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Engine Logbook | PDF, 15 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Weather Data | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Photos | PDF, 2 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 N602NY 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.