Air Tractor INC AT-502B accident near Topeka, Kansas, August 6, 2021
On August 6, 2021 at about 1:48 pm local time, a 2008 Air Tractor INC AT-502B, registered N502CP, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Topeka, Kansas. 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 continue low-level aerial application flight maneuvers after the low fuel warning light illuminated, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 6, 2021 · about 1:48 pm local time
- Place
- Topeka, Kansas · 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-502B, built 2008 · all AT-502Bs on the register
- Registration
- N502CP · registry record · serial 502B2632
- 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 commercial pilot reported that before the aerial application flight, he added Jet A fuel to both wing tanks for a total of 150 gallons of fuel onboard. While flying low-level over a field on the third load, the pilot noticed a change in engine power. He maneuvered the airplane out of the field and the engine steadily lost power. The pilot tried to advance the power forward with no change and the airspeed and altitude decreased. The pilot performed a forced landing to a bean field. During the landing, the airplane bounced, slid across a road, and then came to rest upright. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and the right wing. The property owner of the bean field reported that he helped the pilot add about 9 gallons of red die automotive diesel fuel to the left fuel tank and about 5 gallons of the fuel to the right fuel tank after the accident. The pilot reported that the low fuel warning light illuminated about five minutes before the partial loss of engine power, yet the pilot continued with the low-level aerial application maneuvers. When the low fuel warning light illuminates, the airplane flight manual states to, “fly straight and level and monitor fuel gauges” and “land as soon as practical.” The operator reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe and engine that would have precluded normal operation.
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 (partial) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Fuel related during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Fuel exhaustion during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › (general) › Incorrect use/operation
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,470.7 hours in all; 473 in this make and model; 563.3 in the last 90 days; 314.2 in the last 30 days; 2,452.9 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 5, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,648.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 8,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34AG (turboprop); 5,052 hours total
- Operator: Mcelwain Sprayers, LLC
The flight
- Departed from: K59 Atchison KS at 12:04 pm
- Destination: 69K Wamego KS
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 am from KTOP, 11 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KTOP 061353Z 08005KT 9SM CLR 22/18 A3003 RMK AO2 SLP159 T02220178
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 September 15, 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, 8 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photographs | PDF, 13 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Various Statements | PDF, 12 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Airframe Manufacturer and Airworthiness Documents | PDF, 20 pages | View Download |
| 5 | NTSB Party Member Forms | PDF, 2 pages | 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.