Air Tractor INC AT-502 accident near Cushing, Oklahoma, January 9, 2021
On January 9, 2021 at about 8:50 pm local time, a 1991 Air Tractor INC AT-502, registered N4540C, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Cushing, Oklahoma (Private airport). 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 pilot’s decision to takeoff from unsuitable terrain which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 9, 2021 · about 8:50 pm local time
- Place
- Cushing, Oklahoma · Private · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor INC AT-502, built 1991 · all AT-502s on the register
- Registration
- N4540C · no longer on the register · serial 502-0119
- 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 stated that he intended to depart from a soft, muddy runway and was having a difficult time becoming airborne. When the airplane reached a spot of the runway that was not as muddy, the airplane “popped out of the mud” and reached an altitude of about 30 ft above the ground. Before he could lower the nose to gain airspeed, the left wing stalled and the airplane impacted the surrounding terrain resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage, tail, and both wings. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.
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 takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Decision related to condition
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,198.8 hours in all; 666.2 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 1,145.8 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 6, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Skyler Blue LLC
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.33 inHg
- Observation at 3:15 pm from KCUH, 2 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KCUH 092115Z AUTO 03003KT 10SM CLR 06/M02 A3033 RMK AO2 T00611020
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on August 17, 2021. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation_pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photos | PDF, 3 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 N4540C 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.