Air Tractor 402 accident near Hughes, Arkansas, May 20, 2002
On May 20, 2002 at about 12:40 pm local time, a Air Tractor 402, registered N91660, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hughes, Arkansas. 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 during the landing roll. Contributing factors were the malfunction of the tail wheel locking mechanism and the high vegetation along the sides of the airstrip.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 20, 2002 · about 12:40 pm local time
- Place
- Hughes, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor 402
- Registration
- N91660 · no longer on the register · serial 402-0903
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While conducting an aerial application flight, the pilot noticed that three spray nozzles were leaking. Several crops in the area were susceptible to the chemical being dispensed, prompting the pilot to divert and execute a landing at an alternate airstrip to fix the nozzles. After touching down, the pilot stated the tail wheel did not lock properly, which resulted in the airplane kicking to the left and departing the airstrip. The airplane's left spray boom then became entangled in the adjoining wheat, and the airplane ground looped. The pilot reported having trouble with the tail wheel locking mechanism about a week before 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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 3,578 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 3,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 29, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,636 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 11, 2002; 70 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6-27 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Hughes AR at 12:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 158°F (70°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N91660 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.