Air Tractor AT-502A accident near Coleman, Texas, September 21, 1995
On September 21, 1995 at about 3:10 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-502A, registered N91969, was destroyed in an accident near Coleman, Texas. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's continued flight into adverse weather resulting in spatial disorientation and loss of control. A factor was the pilot's improper weather evaluation and the weather.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 21, 1995 · about 3:10 pm local time
- Place
- Coleman, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-502A
- Registration
- N91969 · no longer on the register · serial AT502A-0239
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was one of two airplanes on a cross-country flight. According to the pilot of the other airplane, both airplanes were flying about 300 feet AGL when he observed the accident airplane enter a fog bank. A witness 1/2 mile from the accident site heard the sound of an airplane and observed the airplane fly directly overhead. He reported that 'the plane was not clearly visible due to dense clouds and/or fog and very overcast conditions.' About 10-15 minutes later, the witness observed a column of dark smoke, discovered the accident site, and observed the airplane burning on the ground. The turbine engine was found buried 18 inches in the initial ground scar at a near vertical angle. All five propeller blades were embedded in the ground and exhibited bending opposite the direction of rotation. The pilot obtained a computer weather brief prior to departure from an airport 38 miles southeast of the accident site. Examination of the airplane and maintenance records did not reveal any anomalies that could have contributed to 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: 1,656 hours in all; 399 in the last 90 days; 227 in the last 30 days; 1,534 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 452 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 332 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT-6A-45R (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: BWD Brownwood TX at 2:45 pm
- Destination: 2F5 Lamesa TX
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 800 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:30 pm from ABI, 38 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.