Air Tractor AT-402A accident near Edmonson, Texas, May 16, 2007
On May 16, 2007 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-402A, registered N120CP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Edmonson, 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the crops.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 16, 2007 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Edmonson, Texas
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-402A
- Registration
- N120CP · registry record · serial 402A-1115
- 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 16,000-hour commercial pilot allowed the turbine powered agricultural airplane to get too low over the wheat field he was spraying. The landing gear or the airplane became entangled in the wheat crop and the airplane decelerated abruptly. The airplane nose-over and came to rest in the inverted position. There was no fire and the pilot was able to egress from the airplane unassisted. The pilot stated on the NTSB Form 6120.1 (Pilot/Operator Accident/Incident Report) that he allowed the aircraft to get too low and was unable to recover. An on scene investigation performed by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector determined that there was no mechanical problems. The pilot confirmed the same finding. The airplane sustained structural damage to the fuselage and wings. Weather at the time of the mishap was reported as wind from 110 degrees at 5 knots, visibility of 10 statute miles, temperature 12 degrees Celsius, dew point 8 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 30.37 inches of Mercury.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 16,000 hours in all; 1,960 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 15,840 as pilot in command; 3,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,970 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 7,860 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-11AG (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Hart TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.37 inHg
- Observation at 3:25 pm from KPVW, 15 miles away
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.
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 DFW07CA114.