Air Tractor AT-502B accident near Lake Village, Arkansas, March 3, 1998
On March 3, 1998 at about 10:45 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-502B, registered N60762, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lake Village, Arkansas. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's use of unsuitable terrain for takeoff. A factor was the rough/uneven terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 3, 1998 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Village, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-502B
- Registration
- N60762 · no longer on the register · serial 0349
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After filling his aerial application aircraft with 350 gallons of liquid fertilizer, the pilot began his takeoff roll. As the airplane's tail lifted off of the ground, the right main landing gear entered a rut, which resulted in the aircraft decelerating and veering to the right into soft ground. Subsequently, the aircraft 'flipped' over onto its back. The pilot stated that he and the landowner drove 'up and down the airstrip stopping several times to test the condition of the strip' prior to his initial landing to the strip. He further stated that '[he] noticed the strip to be a little rough but [he] felt that it was firm enough to work off of.' The pilot reported that during his initial landing he did not notice any problems with the strip.
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: 5,800 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 5,642 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,832 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 30, 1998; 53 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6A-34AG (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE at 10:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 315° at 3 knots, gusting 4
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°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.
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.