Air Tractor INC AT-502 accident near Gueydan, Louisiana, November 5, 2025
On November 5, 2025 at about 9:30 pm local time, a 1987 Air Tractor INC AT-502, registered N7315L, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Gueydan, Louisiana (N/A airport). It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain situational awareness and clearance from terrain while maneuvering to avoid birds.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 5, 2025 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Gueydan, Louisiana · N/A · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor INC AT-502, built 1987 · all AT-502s on the register
- Registration
- N7315L · registry record · serial 502-0006
- 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 he took evasive action to avoid birds during an agricultural application flight. He had completed an application pass and was in a turn to set up for the next pass when he encountered the birds. The pilot noted that he lost situational awareness and inadvertently impacted the terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that affected normal operation of the airplane before the accident.
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
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Contributed to outcome
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusion › Situational awareness › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,826 hours in all; 7,826 in this make and model; 103 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 15,778 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 13, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 14,629.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 2, 2025; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,400 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34 (turboprop); 31,925 hours total
- Operator: Coco Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Plauncheville AL at 9:00 pm
- Destination: PVT Plauncheville AL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 3:35 pm from KIYA, 23 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KIYA 052135Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 26/16 A3012 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N7315L the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN26LA036.