Air Tractor AT-502B accident near Cooksville, Illinois, August 12, 2007
On August 12, 2007 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-502B, registered N61352, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cooksville, Illinois. 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 partial loss of engine power during the takeoff roll for undetermined reasons and the pilot's unsuccessful compensation for the tailwind conditions. Factors contributing to the accident were the tailwind and the corn crop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 12, 2007 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Cooksville, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-502B
- Registration
- N61352 · registry record · serial 0311
- 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 airplane sustained substantial damage during takeoff from the grass airstrip when it failed to clear the corn at the end of the airstrip. The pilot reported that he was departing on his fourth flight of the day. The airplane was loaded with 425 gallons of water and chemicals and 150 gallons of fuel. He reported that he checked the wind before takeoff and it appeared there was no wind. He reported that during his takeoff roll, "I encountered a substantial gust of wind from the rear that prevented me from keeping the airplane airborne." He also stated that, "I believe that if this engine had been producing its maximum rated horsepower, the gust of wind would not have been the deciding factor in this take off."
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,000 hours in all; 5,300 in this make and model; 500 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-34HG (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Cooksville IL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.