Air Tractor INC AT-502 accident near Sturgis, South Dakota, June 18, 2023
On June 18, 2023 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 2018 Air Tractor INC AT-502, registered N290LA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Sturgis, South Dakota (Sturgis Muni 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 timing to initiate beta mode with the propeller and his failure to maintain directional during the full load landing that resulted in a runway excursion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of recent experience with performing a full load landing and the high-density altitude that likely affected aircraft performance during the landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 18, 2023 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Sturgis, South Dakota · Sturgis Muni · 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-502 A, built 2018 · all AT-502s on the register
- Registration
- N290LA · registry record · serial 502A-3137
- 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 he departed in the airplane with about 660 lbs of fuel and about 3,500 lbs of liquid chemical for application to a pasture. After arriving at the pasture, the chemical dispersal system was malfunctioning, and the pilot decided to return to the airport. During the landing to the first quarter of the runway, the airplane was about 125 mph, with “half flap” applied, and the tailwheel was locked. As the tailwheel touched down on the dry concrete runway, the pilot initiated beta mode with the propeller, and the airplane “started veering to the right.” The pilot assessed that he “reversed the propeller too aggressively and too soon.” The airplane departed the runway to the right, the left main landing gear separated after impacting a ditch, and the airplane came to rest upright on a grass field. The pilot was able to egress from the airplane without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and the left wing. The operator reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation. A postaccident examination of the chemical dispersal system found foreign object debris that was likely blocking the flow of the chemical. Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 Agricultural Aircraft Operations does not contain full load landing training and recurrency requirements. The pilot reported the last time he performed a full load landing was about 2 years prior. The estimated density altitude for the airport was 6,101 ft.
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 control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Miscellaneous/other during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Runway excursion during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Landing gear collapse during post (impact)
- Evacuation during post (impact)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action sequence › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Recent experience w/ equipment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › High density altitude › Effect on equipment
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,927 hours in all; 690 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 1,927 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 22, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 487 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 15, 2023; 27 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,480 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-140AG (turboprop); 460 hours total
- Operator: Ascend AG INC
The flight
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 11, 5,100 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 17 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.60 inHg
- Observation at 12:55 pm from KRCA, 20 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KRCA 181855Z AUTO 18017KT 10SM CLR 29/09 A2960 RMK AO2 PK WND 16027/19 SLP001 T02870089 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on July 27, 2023. 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, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Pilot and Operator Additional Information | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Additional Documents | PDF, 7 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.