Air Tractor AT-502B accident near Westside, Iowa, August 22, 2003
On August 22, 2003 at about 11:25 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-502B, registered N5007G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Westside, Iowa. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation which led to fuel exhaustion and subsequent loss of engine power. Contributing factors were the unsuitable terrain encountered, and the terrace/embankment.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 22, 2003 · about 11:25 pm local time
- Place
- Westside, Iowa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-502B
- Registration
- N5007G · registry record · serial 502B-0417
- 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 aircraft was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a complete loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot reported completing a final agricultural application pass when the engine abruptly lost power. He noted: "There was no place to land, I hit the fuel boost pump and the [aircraft] powered up again for 1 or 2 seconds." This allowed the pilot to clear a farm house and set-up for a forced landing in an alfalfa field. The aircraft subsequently impacted an "up sloping draw ... a terrace and went into a steep gully," according to the pilot. A post-accident examination found no evidence of fuel on-board. Both fuel tanks were empty and there was no sign of fuel on the ground in the vicinity of the aircraft. The pilot reported no malfunctions with the aircraft prior to the loss of engine power. No anomalies associated with a pre-impact failure were observed during the post-accident inspection. The pilot reportedly had a standing request with the fixed base operator that the aircraft be filled to the 3/4 tabs each time it was fueled. He stated that the fuel gauges "have been very undependable this summer," so after each refueling he would enter 162 gallons into the fuel flow meter. Due to his lack of confidence in the fuel gauges, the pilot was using the fuel flow meter to monitor his in-flight fuel status. The pilot stated that he did not visually verify the fuel quantity after refueling prior to the accident flight.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,200 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 350 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 9,700 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 28, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,267 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 8,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-15 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CIN Carroll IA at 4:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 11:35 pm from CIN, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N5007G 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.