Air Tractor AT 502 accident near Stanton, Texas, July 24, 2019
On July 24, 2019 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 1992 Air Tractor AT 502, registered N15400, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Stanton, Texas. 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 failure to maintain clearance from wires during an agricultural application flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 24, 2019 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Stanton, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT 502 Undesignat, built 1992
- Registration
- N15400 · no longer on the register · serial 502-0174
- 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, during an agricultural application flight, he had reconnoitered the area of operation, but on the last pass, the airplane struck an unseen wire. He recalled that "the airplane's right wing was trying to drop," and he tried to keep the airplane level, but the right wing collided with the ground, and the airplane cartwheeled and then came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. 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
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Effect on operation
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,580 hours in all; 650 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 1,400 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 14, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,628.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 5, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 9,400 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-34AG (turboprop); 5,578 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Stanton TX at 6:00 pm
- Destination: Stanton TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 7 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 7:15 pm from KBPG, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on December 5, 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 | Photo | 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 N15400 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.