Air Tractor AT-502 accident near Watson, Arkansas, March 23, 1997
On March 23, 1997 at about 12:30 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-502, registered N9185G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Watson, Arkansas (K & P Airstrip airport). 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 attain lift off speed and the ground loop/swerve encountered. Factors were the gravel and soft terrain at the end of the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 23, 1997 · about 12:30 pm local time
- Place
- Watson, Arkansas · K & P Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-502
- Registration
- N9185G · registry record · serial 502-0213
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during the airplane's takeoff roll, 'I went about 700 feet and made a decision that it wasn't gonna come off the ground. I shut it down and when I got to the end of my asphalt I hit gravel, [and] los[t] the airplane when it tried to ground loop.' The airplane's main landing gear 'sunk' in mud, and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted.
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: 2,200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,560 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 14, 1997; 100 hours since
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6-15 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE at 12:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,600 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°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 N9185G 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.