Air Tractor AT-502 accident near Idaho Falls, Idaho, July 24, 1995
On July 24, 1995 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-502, registered N4516K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Idaho Falls, Idaho (Qb One 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
THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE AIRSPEED AT LIFTOFF. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE, TAILWIND CONDITIONS, THE PILOT'S SELECTION OF AN EXCESSIVE TAKEOFF FLAP SETTING, AND A WINDSHEAR ENCOUNTER.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 24, 1995 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Idaho Falls, Idaho · Qb One · 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
- N4516K · no longer on the register · serial 502-0097
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AT 70 MPH ON TAKEOFF ROLL, THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED A WIND SHEAR WHICH DECREASED AIRSPEED TO UNDER 60 MPH AND DROPPED THE TAIL BACK TO THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT CONTINUED THE TAKEOFF BUT SUBSEQUENTLY DID NOT ATTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED TO SUSTAIN FLIGHT BEFORE REACHING THE END OF THE AIRSTRIP. HE LIFTED OFF BUT THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO SINK IMMEDIATELY AFTER BECOMING AIRBORNE. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A SERIES OF POWER POLES IN AN ATTEMPTED EMERGENCY LANDING ON A ROAD. AN 8 TO 10 KNOT TAILWIND EXISTED AT THE START OF THE TAKEOFF ROLL. DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS OVER 7,300 FEET. THE PILOT HAD ALSO SELECTED A GREATER TAKEOFF FLAP SETTING THAN WAS SPECIFIED BY THE AIRCRAFT FLIGHT MANUAL.
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; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 57 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 14,867 as pilot in command; 3,276 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,978 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 5, 1994; 191 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,200 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6A-34 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 3,960 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 pm from IDA, 9 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.
Other NTSB records under N4516K 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.