Air Tractor INC AT 502 accident near Paragould, Arkansas, October 18, 2016
On October 18, 2016 at about 2:45 pm local time, a 2010 Air Tractor INC AT 502, registered N4218E, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Paragould, 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 failure to avoid electrical wires during low-altitude maneuvering, which resulted in a wire strike.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 18, 2016 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Paragould, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor INC AT 502 B, built 2010 · all AT 502s on the register
- Registration
- N4218E · no longer on the register · serial 502B-2701
- 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 while in a left turn during an aerial application flight the airplane encountered a gust of wind and began to "shake", so he leveled the wings momentarily before continuing the turn. He further reported that he was looking at the field instead of where he was turning and when the airplane was 30-50 feet above the ground he looked up and saw electrical wires. The right wing tip struck the electrical wires and the airplane made a forced landing in a nearby pond. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the both wings and fuselage. The pilot also reported that during the day of the accident he was under stress and his head was "in another place". The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Effect on operation
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Mental/emotional state › Stress › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Attention › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 4,600 hours in all; 750 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 75 in the last 30 days; 4,570 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 25, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,528 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 5, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 8,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W Canada PT6A-34AG (turboprop); 3,528 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 19 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,600 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from KJBR, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on December 2, 2016. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record – Telephone Interview, Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N4218E 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.