Air Tractor INC AT 802 accident near Prosser, Washington, June 5, 2017
On June 5, 2017 at about 2:00 pm local time, a 2016 Air Tractor INC AT 802, registered N802NB, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Prosser, Washington (Sun Heaven 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 abrupt maneuver to avoid hay bales during the takeoff roll, which resulted in a loss of directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 5, 2017 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Prosser, Washington · Sun Heaven Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor INC AT 802 A, built 2016 · all AT 802s on the register
- Registration
- N802NB · registry record · serial 802A-0640
- 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 of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during an agricultural application flight, about 800 ft into the takeoff roll on a gravel airstrip, he veered the airplane to the right to avoid hay bales that were stacked on the left side of the runway. He added that, as the airplane veered right, the right-wing spray boom encountered tall wheat, and the airplane exited the right side of the runway. Subsequently, the airplane came to rest nose down. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane 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
- Abrupt maneuver during takeoff
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
- Runway excursion during takeoff
- Dragged wing/rotor/float/other during takeoff
- Nose over/nose down during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Debris/dirt/foreign object › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,150 hours in all; 917 in this make and model; 240 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 6,070 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 18, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 917 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 15, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 16,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-65AG (turboprop); 917 hours total
- Operator: Air-Trac INC
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Prosser WA
- Destination: PVT Prosser WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from KRLD, 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 July 20, 2017. 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 | Accident Photo (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.