Air Tractor AT502 accident near Louise, Mississippi, July 30, 2018
On July 30, 2018 at about 4:00 pm local time, a 2001 Air Tractor AT502, registered N205SK, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Louise, Mississippi (Pvt 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 landing flare, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing and a subsequent 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
- July 30, 2018 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Louise, Mississippi · Pvt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT502 B, built 2001
- Registration
- N205SK · no longer on the register · serial 502B-0628
- 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 the fourth landing on a rural runway, the airplane touched down hard, bounced, and veered left. The pilot attempted to correct with opposite rudder; however, the airplane continued left into a field and ground looped to the left. The right wing impacted the ground, and the right main landing gear separated. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right 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
- Hard landing during landing
- Abnormal runway contact during landing
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- 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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,425 hours in all; 74 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,827 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 5, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 8,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-34AG (turboprop); 7,927 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Louise MS at 1:20 pm
- Destination: PVT Louise MS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,500 ft by 250 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from KGLH, 33 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 11, 2019. 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 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation - Pilot | 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.
Other NTSB records under N205SK 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.