Air Tractor AT-502 accident near Fort Pierce, Florida, September 18, 2003
On September 18, 2003 at about 1:05 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-502, registered N1528T, was destroyed in an accident near Fort Pierce, Florida (Southeastern 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
Failure of one blade in the engine compressor turbine disk due to fatigue which was caused by loss of gap between the blade platforms as a result of corrosion due to a foreign element (phosphate). This resulted in loss of engine power during takeoff and overrun of the runway and collision with trees during the subsequent aborted takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 18, 2003 · about 1:05 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Pierce, Florida · Southeastern Airport · 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
- Registration
- N1528T · no longer on the register · serial 502-0160
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot aborted the takeoff when heard a loud explosion shortly after lift off. The airplane overran the runway, and collided with trees. The examination of the aircraft revealed the compressor turbine disk exhibited two blades fractured near the platform, the remaining blades exhibiting severe impact damage. Fatigue was observed on the fracture surfaces of the two blades which had fractured near the platform. Corrosion was observed on the side of the compressor turbine blade platforms from these two fractured blades.. The corroded platform area of the compressor turbine blades contained foreign elements mostly composed of phosphate and lead oxide. The corrosion observed had caused a volume change which closed the required gap between blade platforms. According to Pratt and Whitney personnel this would have an adverse effect on the blade airfoils by altering the natural vibration frequency of the blades. Pratt and Whitney personnel concluded that the distress of the compressor turbine disk was initiated by the fracture of one blade in fatigue from multiple origins. The fatigue fracture of the compressor turbine blades likely resulted from a loss of gap between the blade and platforms as a result of the observed corrosion.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 24,500 hours in all; 4,000 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 24,310 as pilot in command; 7 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 29, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,269.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2003; 89.6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: FD30 Fort Pierce FL at 1:05 pm
- Destination: FD30
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 2,500 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from KFPR, 10 miles away
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.