Air Tractor INC AT-602 accident near Plains, Kansas, July 21, 2023
On July 21, 2023 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 2010 Air Tractor INC AT-602, registered N602AA, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Plains, Kansas (Private Airstrip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 control during takeoff from a water-contaminated runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 21, 2023 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Plains, Kansas · Private Airstrip · 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 2010 · all AT-602s on the register
- Registration
- N602AA · registry record · serial 602-1194
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Prior to flight, the pilot noted that rain had made the turf airstrip too wet to conduct aerial application flights. The middle of the airstrip had standing water, but the edges of the runway had fewer areas of water. The pilot took off at a reduced weight, without an aerial load, to fly to another location. During the takeoff, the airplane contacted the water on the runway, and the pilot lost control. The airplane subsequently veered off the runway resulting in the wing’s spray booms getting entangled in high weeds. The airplane spun and came to rest. Substantial damage was sustained to the left wing and empennage.
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 takeoff defining event
- Runway excursion during takeoff
- Collision during takeoff/land during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Wet surface › Effect on equipment
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 30,948 hours in all; 5,240 in this make and model; 340 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: February 20, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-60AG (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 3,200 ft by 25 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,100 ft; scat at 1,200 ft
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 11:07 am from KLBL, 22 miles away
Weather report (METAR): SPECI KLBL 211607Z AUTO 01010KT 10SM SCT012 BKN021 OVC027 A3022 RMK AO2 FZRANO $=
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 November 9, 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's Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Investigative Photo | 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 N602AA 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.