Air Tractor INC AT-602 accident near Beaumont, Texas, June 14, 2022
On June 14, 2022 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 2009 Air Tractor INC AT-602, registered N42590, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Beaumont, Texas (Winnie Stowell 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 failure to maintain clearance from a power line pole while preparing for 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
- June 14, 2022 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Beaumont, Texas · Winnie Stowell · 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-602, built 2009 · all AT-602s on the register
- Registration
- N42590 · registry record · serial 602-1181
- 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 reported that while maneuvering the airplane to set a starting line for aerial application to a field, the airplane’s right main landing gear struck a power line pole. The pilot immediately returned to the airport. Upon landing, the left main landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. The pilot did not report any preaccident failures or malfunctions 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
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 24,000 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 23,500 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 26, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 24, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 11,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt And Whitney Canada PT6A-60AG (turboprop); 6,000 hours total
- Operator: Twin County Air-Ag INC
The flight
- Departed from: WNE Winnie TX at 4:30 pm
- Destination: N/A None TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 3,600 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 11:30 am from KBMT, 5 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KBMT 141630Z AUTO 30005KT 10SM CLR 33/23 A3009 RMK AO2 T03300228
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 August 1, 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.
Other NTSB records under N42590 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.