Air Tractor AT-802A accident near Jasper, Texas, May 1, 2006
On May 1, 2006 at about 1:00 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-802A, registered N8504T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jasper, Texas. 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 loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable landing for the pilot to execute the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 1, 2006 · about 1:00 pm local time
- Place
- Jasper, Texas
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-802A
- Registration
- N8504T · registry record · serial 802A-0218
- 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 turbine powered agricultural airplane was loaded with a payload of 5,500 pounds of chemicals prior to a local aerial application flight. The 8,500-hour non-instrument rated commercial pilot reported to local authorities that while in-flight he experienced some problems with the on-board agricultural-navigation system; however, he elected to proceed to the field to be sprayed. While en route to the field, the engine surged a couple of times and lost power. The pilot attempted to execute a forced landing to a pasture. During the approach, the pilot was forced to make a sharp turn to avoid colliding with a fence, resulting in a hard landing and a subsequent loss of directional control. The payload of chemicals was found in the hopper, and the reason why the pilot did not elect to dump the load following the loss of engine power was not determined. The 2005 model airplane sustained major structural damage in the area aft of the engine firewall. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, who traveled to the accident site, revealed less than a cup of fuel in one tank and less than 5 gallons in the other. A completed Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1) was never received from neither the pilot nor the operator.
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: 8,500 hours in all; 150 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 8,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JAS Jasper TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 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 N8504T the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DFW06LA121.