Air Tractor 402A accident near Pearisburg, Virginia, June 26, 2003
On June 26, 2003 at about 1:52 pm local time, a Air Tractor 402A, registered N4506L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pearisburg, Virginia. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under public-use (government) rules. 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
A compressor turbine blade fracture which resulted in a power loss, and forced landing. Factor were the rocks in the landing area, and the operator's decision to operate the engine beyond the engine manufacturer's recommendations for overhaul.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 26, 2003 · about 1:52 pm local time
- Place
- Pearisburg, Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor 402A
- Registration
- N4506L · no longer on the register · serial 402A-0749
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The Air Tractor was spreading chemical when the pilot observed orange flames and black smoke emitting from the engine exhausts. The engine lost power, he feathered the propeller, and set up for a forced landing in a nearby open field. The airplane touched down, rolled a short distance, and struck embedded rock. The landing gear collapsed, the fuselage was wrinkled, and the propeller separated from the engine. Examination of the PWC PT6A-20 engine revealed several compressor turbine blades had fractured and been released into the engine gas path. The blades also impacted adjacent and downstream components. The compressor turbine blades used in the engine were not approved by PWC; however, they were PMA manufactured with FAA approval. Since engine overhaul, the engine had accumulated 10,978.8 hours and 15,059 cycles. According to the FAA, the PWC recommended overhaul time of 3,600 hours. The airplane was being operated on a USDA Forest Service contact that required the engine to have been overhauled within the manufacturer's specifications. The engine's time since overhaul was not discovered by the Forest Service when they accepted the airplane for use on their contract.
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: 7,640 hours in all; 32 in this make and model; 78 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 6,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 4, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,831 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 15, 2003; 63 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-20 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PSK Dublin VA at 11:49 am
- Destination: PSK Dublin VA
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 1:52 pm from BLF, 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.