Air Tractor INC AT-802A accident near Weiner, Arkansas, May 27, 2022
On May 27, 2022 at about 12:30 pm local time, a 2014 Air Tractor INC AT-802A, registered N579LA, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Weiner, Arkansas (Sally Wofford Airport). It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from the telephone pole during a low-level aerial application pass.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 27, 2022 · about 12:30 pm local time
- Place
- Weiner, Arkansas · Sally Wofford Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor INC AT-802A, built 2014 · all AT-802As on the register
- Registration
- N579LA · no longer on the register · serial 802A-0579
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, while maneuvering through a field at low altitude, the wingtip struck a telephone pole. The airplane subsequently impacted terrain and was destroyed. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane before the accident.
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
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Pole › Awareness of condition
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 16,000 hours in all; 4,000 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 16,000 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 12, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,130 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 10, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 16,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt And Whitney Canada PT6A-65AG (turboprop); 3,130 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 8M2 Weiner AR at 12:00 pm
- Destination: 8M2 Weiner AR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 2,330 ft by 160 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; a few clouds at 2,800 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 2:27 pm from KM19, 13 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KM19 271927Z AUTO 34009KT 10SM FEW028 20/13 A2997 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 7, 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | 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.
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.