Air Tractor INC AT-602 accident near Drew, Mississippi, July 26, 2011
On July 26, 2011 at about 12:05 pm local time, a Air Tractor INC AT-602, registered N8525L, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Drew, Mississippi. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper decision to conduct a visual flight rules aerial application flight in instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in an in flight collision with the ground while maneuvering.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 26, 2011 · about 12:05 pm local time
- Place
- Drew, Mississippi · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor INC AT-602 · all AT-602s on the register
- Registration
- N8525L · no longer on the register · serial 602-1133
- 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 non-instrument rated pilot departed on an agricultural aerial application flight in instrument meteorological conditions. There was no record of the pilot obtaining a weather briefing or filing a flight plan; however, company personnel stated that he obtained a computer weather briefing before departing. About 55 minutes after the flight’s departure, a friend of the pilot observed the airplane flying over a town about 7 miles from the crash site. He stated that the weather was very foggy. The wreckage was located about 13 minutes later in a rice field by a plantation employee. The employee and the plantation owner also stated that it was very foggy with about 150 feet forward visibility. Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane impacted the ground in a left wing low, nose down attitude. Examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane was not equipped for flight in instrument meteorological conditions. It is likely that the flight encountered dense fog, and the pilot lost visual reference outside and was unable to see the terrain prior to the airplane colliding with it.
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
What happened, in order
- Preflight or dispatch event during prior to flight
- VFR encounter with IMC during maneuvering
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Weather planning › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Fog › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 17,707 hours in all
- Last flight review: December 6, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,607 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 16, 2011; 162 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W Canada PT6A-6 SERIES (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Sturdivant Brothers Flying Service INC
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Glendora MS at 11:05 am
- Destination: NONE Drew MS
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 200 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 am from GWO, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.