Air Tractor INC AT 502 accident near Charleston, Mississippi, October 21, 2013
On October 21, 2013 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 1989 Air Tractor INC AT 502, registered N1022N, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff (rejected takeoff) near Charleston, Mississippi (Charleston 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control, which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with a fence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 21, 2013 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Charleston, Mississippi · Charleston 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 502 UNDESIGNAT, built 1989 · all AT 502s on the register
- Registration
- N1022N · registry record · serial 502-0071
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, during the takeoff roll the tail wheel lifted off the runway and settled back down. When the tail wheel contacted the runway, the pilot lost directional control of the airplane, veered off the runway, and collided with a fence. During the sequence of the accident both wings and the fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot stated that he did not have any issues with the flight controls but did "lose directional control of the airplane." The pilot also stated that he may have lost engine power, but a postaccident examination of the engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation prior to the accident.
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
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff (rejected takeoff) defining event
- Runway excursion during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 23,765 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 23,631 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 1, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,075 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 25, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 8,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6-34 (turboprop); 3,685 hours total
- Operator: Srb Aerial Applicators LLC
The flight
- Departed from: 09M Charleston MS at 6:00 pm
- Destination: 09M Charleston MS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from GWO, 30 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.
Other NTSB records under N1022N 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.