Air Tractor AT-602 accident near Plains, Texas, October 3, 1997
On October 3, 1997 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-602, registered N602GB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Plains, Texas (Yoakum County 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 improper decision to initiate takeoff with a vehicle on the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 3, 1997 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Plains, Texas · Yoakum County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-602
- Registration
- N602GB · registry record · serial 602-0425
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the initial takeoff climb, the agricultural airplane's left wing struck a pickup truck that was parked on the runway, and the airplane then impacted the ground. The runway was closed for resurfacing, but the pilot had received an 'ok' from the supervisor of the runway workcrew to use the runway. Although the pilot was aware of the position of the workcrew's pickup truck when he began his takeoff roll, he thought the truck was in the process of moving off the runway. The airplane had reached a speed of 70 mph when the pilot realized the pickup truck had not moved, and he attempted to avoid the collision, but was unable to do so.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,716 hours in all; 510 in this make and model; 440 in the last 90 days; 160 in the last 30 days; 6,609 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 533 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 19, 1997; 212 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6A-65AG (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: F98 at 9:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 3,960 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 6 knots
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°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 N602GB 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.