Air Tractor AT-802A accident near Poplar Bluff, Missouri, May 23, 1999
On May 23, 1999 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-802A, registered N6144H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Poplar Bluff, Missouri (Private Airstrip 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 selecting the wrong runway direction on which to initiate the takeoff and his failure to maintain directional control. Factors associated with the accident were the quartering tailwind condition, the rough terrain encountered, and fatigue.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 23, 1999 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Poplar Bluff, Missouri · 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 AT-802A
- Registration
- N6144H · no longer on the register · serial 802-025
- 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 stated that he initiated the takeoff with a '... strong quartering tailwind.' According to the pilot he was taking off to the east with the local winds from 315 degrees at 15 to 20 knots. He reported that the airplane veered to the left and he was unable to compensate for the veer using the rudder. The airplane traveled off the left side of the airstrip and through a rice field where it contacted a levee knocking off the main gear. The pilot stated he started flying at 0700 central daylight time and he had flown 24 loads on the day of 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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 12,000 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,441 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 21, 1999; 31 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 16,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6-45 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 2,600 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 315° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- 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 N6144H 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.