Air Tractor AT-502B accident near Hampton, Iowa, August 1, 2007
On August 1, 2007 at about 2:15 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-502B, registered N50877, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hampton, Iowa (Hampton 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 failure to maintain directional control during landing. Contributing to the accident was a ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 1, 2007 · about 2:15 pm local time
- Place
- Hampton, Iowa · Hampton Muni
- 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
- N50877 · registry record · serial 502B-0472
- 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 was substantially damaged when it struck a ditch along the edge of the runway during an aborted landing. The pilot reported that there was a right 45 degree crosswind at 20 knots which decreased just as he was touching down. The airplane then yawed to the right and the pilot applied power to execute an aborted landing. The airplane subsequently became airborne and crossed over the ditch along the right side of the runway. The airplane settled to the ground and the left wing tip struck the ditch edge. The airplane subsequently spun to the left, the right landing gear collapsed, and the airplane slid across the runway.
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; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 8,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HPT Hampton IA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 4,018 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 225° at 20 knots
- 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.
Other NTSB records under N50877 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.