Piper PA-36-285 accident near Altus, Oklahoma, August 2, 2002
On August 2, 2002 at about 5:20 pm local time, a Piper PA-36-285, registered N57597, was substantially damaged in an accident near Altus, Oklahoma. 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 loss of engine power as a result of the fracture of a compressor turbine blade due to fatigue. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 2, 2002 · about 5:20 pm local time
- Place
- Altus, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-36-285 · all PA-36-285s on the register
- Registration
- N57597 · no longer on the register · serial 36-7560132
- 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, he was flying east, executing his final pass in a field when he heard a "loud noise" and the engine lost total power. He looked for a forced landing location, but obstructions/hazards were identified ahead and on both sides of the airplane. He attempted to turn the airplane 180 degrees, but the airplane impacted the ground, slid approximately 200 feet and came to rest upright. The engine examination revealed that compressor turbine blade #22 fractured due to creep and there was heat distress in the combustion liner, and burnt temperature probes.
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: 12,200 hours in all; 2,500 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 12,075 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 2, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,471.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 15, 2002; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,400 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-6 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Altus OK at 4:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 2 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from LTS, 10 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.