Air Tractor AT-802A accident near Lamesa, Texas, October 11, 1999
On October 11, 1999 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-802A, registered N6044A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lamesa, Texas (Lamesa 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 separation of the rudder control cable at the aft fairlead, as a result of wear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 11, 1999 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lamesa, Texas · Lamesa Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-802A
- Registration
- N6044A · registry record · serial 0023
- 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 airplane was departing from runway 16 for a local aerial application flight, when the pilot heard a 'loud bang,' and 'the right rudder pedal fell to the floor.' The airplane veered to the left, exited the runway, ground-looped, and came to rest upright. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right rudder cable separated at the aft fairlead. Examination of the rudder cable by the NTSB Materials Laboratory revealed that the individual separated strands of the cable had a flat and shiny appearance, indicative of wear. The wear was primarily on one side of the cable, extending around 90 degrees of the cable's circumference. Air Tractor issued a service letter on August 27, 1999, advising operators of rudder cable wear at the aft fairlead on the AT-802 and AT-802A. The service letter stated that a new cable, which incorporated a stainless steel sleeve that is crimped to the cable in the area of the fairlead, was available. The operator was aware of the service letter, but had not replaced the rudder cables.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 22,005 hours in all; 1,723 in this make and model; 826 in the last 90 days; 119 in the last 30 days; 20,946 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 20, 1999
- Maximum gross weight: 16,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6A-65AG (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2F5 at 10:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 4,999 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from LBB, 55 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N6044A the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 FTW00LA030.