Air Tractor INC AT-602 accident near Newport, Arkansas, June 20, 2022
On June 20, 2022 at about 6:15 pm local time, a 2009 Air Tractor INC AT-602, registered N42022, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Newport, Arkansas (Newport Regional 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 obstructed terrain during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 20, 2022 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Newport, Arkansas · Newport Regional Airport · 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
- N42022 · registry record · serial 602-1169
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, while attempting to depart from a turf runway with a third load of fertilizer and ¾’s tab of fuel in each tank, the airplane lifted off the ground and was only one to two feet in the air when it settled back down. The left landing gear struck a berm at the end of the runway that was hidden by tall grass and separated from the airplane. The pilot reduced the weight by dropping the fertilizer and returned to land. The airplane touched down on the right main landing gear and tail wheel and the pilot kept the left wing up as long as possible. The left wing and fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane 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
- Collision during takeoff/land during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Takeoff distance › Capability exceeded
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Maximum weight › Capability exceeded
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Hidden/submerged object › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,813 hours in all; 911 in this make and model; 152 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 6,687 as pilot in command; 934 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 30, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,200 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 2, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt And Whitney Canada PT6-60AG (turboprop); 5,200 hours total
- Operator: Central Iowa Agricultural Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: M19 Newport AR at 6:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 1:00 pm from M19, 7 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KMEM 201754Z 09004KT 10SM CLR 34/13 A3017 RMK AO2 SLP211 T03440133 10344 20233 58010=
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 October 24, 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, 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.