Air Tractor AT502 accident near South Bay, Florida, June 29, 2020
On June 29, 2020 at about 3:30 pm local time, a 2010 Air Tractor AT502, registered N42190, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near South Bay, Florida (Belle Glade State Muni 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 loss of airplane control during the approach, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with vegetation and terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 29, 2020 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- South Bay, Florida · Belle Glade State Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT502 B, built 2010
- Registration
- N42190 · registry record · serial 502B-2705
- 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 was performing an aerial application flight, and after distributing dry fertilizer he entered a downwind approach to land on a dirt road next to the field he was spraying. During a 180° turn to line up with the road, the airplane entered an aerodynamic stall. He added power, levelled the wings, deployed the flaps, and recovered from the stall; however, the airplane was too low and its landing gear struck sugar cane in the field. The airplane subsequently impacted the ground, and the fuselage and empennage were substantially damaged. The operator reported there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane 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
- Loss of control in flight during approach defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 3,106 hours in all; 1,639 in this make and model; 211 in the last 90 days; 72 in the last 30 days; 3,013 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 24, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,374 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 21, 2020; 146 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,400 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt Whitney PT6-34 (turboprop); 4,374 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X10 Belle Glade FL
- Destination: X10 Belle Glade FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,400 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 3:47 pm from BCT, 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
4 documents, released by the NTSB on January 22, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Wreckage Release | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.