Air Tractor INC AT-502B accident near Wyoming, Illinois, July 10, 2022
On July 10, 2022 at about 11:05 pm local time, a 2001 Air Tractor INC AT-502B, registered N205SK, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR go-around) near Wyoming, Illinois (Unnamed Farm Strip 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 improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 10, 2022 · about 11:05 pm local time
- Place
- Wyoming, Illinois · Unnamed Farm Strip · 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 NO SERIES, built 2001 · all AT-502Bs on the register
- Registration
- N205SK · no longer on the register · serial 502B-0628
- 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, upon landing, the airplane bounced and he elected to go around. He added power and heard the engine spool up. The airplane became airborne again, but at the top of the bounce, the pilot felt the right wing rapidly dip and he applied left aileron to correct it. The right-wing started to rise, but before it leveled off, he heard it contact the corn. The airplane spun to the right and landed in the corn field, resulting in substantial damage to aft fuselage and empennage. 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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Collision during takeoff/land during approach (VFR go-around) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during initial climb
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Capability exceeded
- Environmental issues › Operating environment › Airport facilities/design › Runway/landing area condition › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,695 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 99 in the last 90 days; 43 in the last 30 days; 2,546 as pilot in command; 350 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 4, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,676.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 10, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 8,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-34AG (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: N/A Wyoming IL at 10:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway N/A, 1,800 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 80°F (27°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 6:21 pm from KC75, 18 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KC75 102321Z AUTO 19004KT 10SM CLR 26/21 A2996 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on August 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 | Photo Array | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Pilot's Statement | 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.
Other NTSB records under N205SK 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.