Air Tractor AT502 accident near Atmore, Alabama, June 16, 2020
On June 16, 2020 at about 12:30 pm local time, a 2013 Air Tractor AT502, registered N879JA, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Atmore, Alabama. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack while maneuvering at low altitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall, spin, and loss of control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 16, 2020 · about 12:30 pm local time
- Place
- Atmore, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT502 B, built 2013
- Registration
- N879JA · registry record · serial 502B-2879
- 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's spouse, he departed earlier on the morning of the accident to dispense two small “loads" of aerial application. On his return home, he called and asked her to come outside of their residence to watch the airplane fly over. She said that the airplane flew over the house before making a climb straight up. The airplane then banked to the left, rolled right, descended straight down, and she heard a loud "boom" shortly thereafter. Two witnesses who were fishing on a nearby lake saw the airplane flying below the tree line before it climbed straight up. They stated that the airplane rolled and descended straight down nose-first. They heard a "loud thud" and then silence. Examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that the pilot exceeded the airplane’s critical angle of attack while maneuvering at low altitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and spin and loss of control.
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
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 4,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,338 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 5, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 4,650 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt&Whitney PT6A-34AG (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Atmore AL at 11:00 am
- Destination: Atmore AL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 12:56 pm from NSE, 29 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on June 9, 2022. 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 | Memorandum for Record FAA Accident Discussion | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statements | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Wreckage Examination Summary | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 15 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N879JA 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.