Air Tractor AT-502 accident near Lariat, Texas, September 14, 2000
On September 14, 2000 at about 11:10 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-502, registered N1508V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lariat, Texas. 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 failure to maintain clearance with the antenna guy wire. A factor was the pilot's physical impairment from his use of diphenhydramine.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 14, 2000 · about 11:10 pm local time
- Place
- Lariat, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-502
- Registration
- N1508V · no longer on the register · serial 502-0144
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A witness observed the agricultural airplane making several spray passes over the field in which an antenna tower was located. The witness observed the aircraft making a 'very low spray pass.' He then observed the airplane pull nose up and bank to the left. The right wing contacted the uppermost guy wire on the north side of the antenna. Subsequently, the wire snapped 'causing the upper part of the tower to fall.' The witness added that the impact with the wire had 'disrupted the flight of the aircraft by spinning it to the right.' The airplane then impacted the ground and caught fire. The pilot had accumulated approximately 15,750 total flight hours, of which an unknown amount were in the accident airplane. According to toxicology tests, 0.071 ug/ml of diphenhydramine was detected in the pilot's blood, and an unquantified amount was found in the urine. Diphenhydramine is an over-the-counter drug used as an antihistamine. Results of a study on diphenhydramine concluded that it adversely affects a person's ability to maneuver an automobile.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 15,750 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,000 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6A (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: TA87 Muleshoe TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:35 pm from CVN, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.