Air Tractor AT-502 accident near Heafer, Arkansas, October 13, 1989
On October 13, 1989 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-502, registered N1012Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Heafer, Arkansas (Heafer Pvt airport). It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE INTENTIONAL SWERVE BY THE PILOT DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL.CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE ROUGH AND SOFT TERRAIN CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 13, 1989 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Heafer, Arkansas · Heafer Pvt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-502
- Registration
- N1012Z · registry record · serial 502-0044
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL FOR AN AERIAL SEEDING OPERATION, THE PLT SAID HE VEERED IN ORDER TO AVOID A DIP IN THE ROUGH, NARROW RUNWAY. THE LEFT MAIN GEAR SANK INTO THE SOFT BORDERING TERRAIN, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO SPIN AROUND AND FLIP INVERTED.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,600 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 2,600 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 669 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6A-15G (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Nelles Air Service
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Heafer AR at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,640 ft by 20 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MKC90LA023.