Air Tractor INC AT-502B accident near Hollandale, Mississippi, March 7, 2012
On March 7, 2012 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Air Tractor INC AT-502B, registered N9148C, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (to runway) near Hollandale, Mississippi (Hollandale Municipal 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control while taxiing in gusty wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 7, 2012 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Hollandale, Mississippi · Hollandale Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor INC AT-502B · all AT-502Bs on the register
- Registration
- N9148C · registry record · serial 502B-0632
- 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 reported that he was taxiing the tailwheel-equipped agricultural application airplane for takeoff when the airplane encountered a left quartering tailwind gust, and the pilot was unable to maintain directional control. The airplane veered left and departed the left side of the runway. The tailwheel block attaching bolts failed and the tailwheel spring impacted the ground, stopping the airplane's lateral rotation, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage just forward of the vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Other weather encounter during taxi (to runway)
- Loss of control on ground during taxi (to runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › (general) › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 18,111 hours in all; 11,083 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,477 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 13, 2012; 6,470 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT-6A (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 14M Hollandale MS
- Destination: 14M Hollandale MS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 08, 3,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from GLH, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 ERA12CA216.