Air Tractor AT-502 accident near Joiner, Arkansas, June 8, 2004
On June 8, 2004 at about 5:45 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-502, registered N9151C, was destroyed in an accident near Joiner, Arkansas (Millington Municipal Airport). It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance and altitude from terrain while maneuvering during an aerial application.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 8, 2004 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Joiner, Arkansas · Millington Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-502
- Registration
- N9151C · no longer on the register · serial 502-0222
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The single-engine agricultural airplane impacted terrain while maneuvering during an aerial application flight. The operator reported that the pilot was spraying various fields throughout the morning for Boll Weevil eradication. A review of the SATLOC GPS flight data card that was installed in the airplane, showed that the airplane had been spraying approximately two miles west of the accident site, and the proceeded to maneuver in the general area for several minutes. The flight data record ended approximately two miles north of the accident site. There were no eyewitnesses to the accident. No pre-impact mechanical or structural anomalies were discovered at the accident site.
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
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 8,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-SER (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 80AR Joiner AR at 2:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 pm from NQA, 25 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.