Air Tractor AT502 accident near Dalhart, Texas, July 10, 2020
On July 10, 2020 at about 7:55 pm local time, a 1995 Air Tractor AT502, registered N61315, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Dalhart, Texas. It was an aerial observation 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 due to a failed fuel control unit bearing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 10, 2020 · about 7:55 pm local time
- Place
- Dalhart, Texas · 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 1995
- Registration
- N61315 · registry record · serial 502B-0305
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The operator reported that the pilot was returning to the airport after completing an aerial application when the engine lost power. The pilot executed a forced landing to a pasture. An engine examination revealed that the fuel control unit (FCU) input drive shaft would not rotate. Further examination established that the FCU input drive spool bearing had failed; however, the cause of the bearing failure could not be determined. Maintenance records indicated that the FCU was within the inspection and overhaul requirements recommended by the manufacturer.
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 (cruise) defining event
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute (cruise)
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control/carburetor › Failure
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,399 hours in all
- Last flight review: February 28, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,904.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 23, 2020; 27.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,400 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-34 (turboprop); 13,993 hours total
- Operator: Bailey Flying Service Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: DHT Dalhart TX at 7:15 pm
- Destination: DHT Dalhart TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from DHT, 20 miles away
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 February 24, 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 | Accident Photos | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Examination Summary -- Fuel Control Unit | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Maintenance Records -- Airframe (Excerpt) | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Maintenance Records -- Engine | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Overhaul Work Order Inspection Report -- Fuel Control Unit | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | 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 N61315 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.