Air Tractor AT802 accident near Dell, Arkansas, August 21, 2020
On August 21, 2020 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 2018 Air Tractor AT802, registered N759FA, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Dell, Arkansas. 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’s failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering at low altitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 21, 2020 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Dell, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT802 A, built 2018
- Registration
- N759FA · no longer on the register · serial 802A-0759
- 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 departed on his fourth agricultural flight of the day to apply a fungicide agent to the crop. Two witnesses, who saw the airplane during the flight, indicated that the airplane made a steep turn, then lost altitude. Postaccident examination of the accident site revealed, the airplane impacted terrain in a steep attitude. The front of the airplane was heavily damaged, the wings were accordioned-crushed along the wingspan, and the engine was embedded in the ground. Examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any preimpact abnormalities that would have contributed to the accident. Nonvolatile memory was successfully downloaded from the airplane’s engine monitor. A review of the data noted that the accident flight was the 630th session and that no anomalies in the engine parameters were recorded before the end of the recording. The accident is consistent with an aerodynamic stall following a loss of airspeed while the pilot maneuvered at low altitude.
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) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 17,500 hours in all; 9,474 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: January 11, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 839.9 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 24, 2020
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6A-65AG (turboprop); 1,071 hours total
- Operator: Tesk Aviation Llc
The flight
- Departed from: Dell AR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,700 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 7:58 pm from KBYH
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
12 documents, released by the NTSB on May 16, 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 | Memo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Satloc Printout | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Flight Tracks | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Maintenance Record (Excerpts) | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Airframe Exam | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Acc Rep | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Work Schedule | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 11 | Electronic Devices Specialist's Factual Report | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 12 | Attachment 1 to Electronic Devices Specialist's Factual Report | data file | 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.