Air Tractor AT-502B accident near Gassoway, Louisiana, July 23, 2005
On July 23, 2005, a Air Tractor AT-502B, registered N50075, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gassoway, Louisiana. 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 premature lift-off which resulted in an inadequate climb for terrain clearance. Also causal was the pilot's failure to abort the takeoff. A contributing factor was the high density altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 23, 2005
- Place
- Gassoway, Louisiana · 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
- N50075 · no longer on the register · serial 502B-0494
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the short field takeoff, the airplane accelerated down the 2,000-foot long grass airstrip and became airborne in ground effect. After crossing over the departure end of the runway, the 6,710-hour commercial pilot attempted to release the load of fertilizer in the hopper. Subsequently, the main landing gear struck cotton plants and impacted the ground. The density altitude was calculated as 2,070 feet based on the outside air temperature of 90 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point 75 degrees Fahrenheit, an altimeter setting of 30.03 inches of Mercury, and a field elevation of 125 feet.
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: 700 hours in all; 250 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Gassoway LA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 73°F (23°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 N50075 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.