Air Tractor INC AT-602 accident near Mer Rouge, Louisiana, August 4, 2021
On August 4, 2021 at about 8:20 pm local time, a 2020 Air Tractor INC AT-602, registered N455LA, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Mer Rouge, Louisiana. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot and ground personnel’s miscalculation of available fuel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 4, 2021 · about 8:20 pm local time
- Place
- Mer Rouge, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor INC AT-602, built 2020 · all AT-602s on the register
- Registration
- N455LA · no longer on the register · serial 602-1311
- 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 accident occurred on the third aerial application flight of the day. Ground support personnel stated they loaded the airplane with about 480 gallons of insecticide and fertilizer, and about 60 gallons of Jet A-1 fuel, which increased the total fuel load to about 160 gallons prior to takeoff. Shortly after rotation, the airplane engine lost power. The pilot conducted a forced landing to a field. During the forced landing, the airplane impacted a soybean field and came to rest upright. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. Postaccident examination of the airplane’s intact fuel system and the accident site found no evidence of fuel. The investigation revealed that the ground personnel and the pilot thought the airplane contained about 160 gallons of fuel prior to takeoff; however, based on the available evidence, it is likely the airplane did not contain fuel, and the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion.
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 takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Not serviced/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Ground crew
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: airship
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 7,500 in this make and model; 350 in the last 90 days; 150 in the last 30 days; 1,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,200 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 7, 2021
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT-6A-65AG (turboprop); 1,200 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from KMLU, 20 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KMLU 042053Z 06008KT 10SM CLR 32/19 A3002 RMK AO2 SLP165 T03170194 58011
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 January 4, 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation - Ground Support Personnel | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Record of Conversation Southern Aircraft Recovery | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo Array | 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.