Air Tractor AT 602 accident near Des Arc, Arkansas, July 3, 2020
On July 3, 2020 at about 1:30 pm local time, a 2002 Air Tractor AT 602, registered N8506E, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Des Arc, 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
A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined from all 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 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Des Arc, 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 2002
- Registration
- N8506E · no longer on the register · serial 602-0657
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While the pilot was conducting an aerial survey of a field, the airplane’s engine lost total power, and the pilot performed a forced landing to a field. During the landing, the airplane touched down in a slip, which caused the right main landing gear to collapse and substantial damage to the left wing. Fuel was found in the fuel tanks. Postaccident examination of the engine and fuel system components revealed no anomalies that would have resulted in a loss of engine power. Thus, the reasons that the airplane lost total engine power during the accident flight could not be determined based on the evidence available for this 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 maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Unknown or undetermined during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (turbine/turboprop) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 27,925 hours in all; 4,000 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,493 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 30, 2020; 69 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-60AG (turboprop); 6,493 hours total
- Operator: Bell'S Ag Service Inc
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 12:56 pm from SGT, 22 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 April 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 FAA | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pratt & Whitney Canada Component Examination Summary | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Log Book Entries | PDF, 19 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Pilot Statement | 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.