Air Tractor AT-602 accident near Wrightsville, Georgia, January 29, 1998
On January 29, 1998 at about 1:00 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-602, registered N50929, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wrightsville, Georgia. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the pilot to maintain airspeed (Vs) resulting in the inadvertent stall during the initial climb.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 29, 1998 · about 1:00 pm local time
- Place
- Wrightsville, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-602
- Registration
- N50929 · no longer on the register · serial 602-0461
- 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 stated that after the engine was started, he remained on the ground about 45 minutes with it running while looking over charts, and also to eliminate frost which was on the wings. He also parked the airplane the night before so as to have the sun contact the wings to eliminate the frost. He then maneuvered the airplane onto the runway and when he applied full power, the engine torque was at the upper red line. About 1/2 way down the runway, he noted that the airplane was not accelerating as it had the day before, and with insufficient runway remaining to stop, he continued the takeoff. The airplane lifted off the ground then rolled to the left, impacted the ground, and rolled inverted. The pilot experienced difficulty in exiting the airplane out the left cockpit door and was assisted by ground personnel. His injuries included fractured vertabrae. Post accident examination of the left cockpit door emergency release assembly revealed that the forward hinge was slight dented, no other discrepancies were noted. The engine was removed from the airplane and sent to the manufacturers facility for further examination, which revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,098 hours in all; 35 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 5,993 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 54 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6A-60AG (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 2,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 2 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:01 pm from SBO, 19 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.