Air Tractor AT-802A accident near Austin, Nevada, August 20, 2009
On August 20, 2009 at about 10:43 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-802A, registered N807MA, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Austin, Nevada (Battle Mountain airport). It was a firefighting flight under public-use (government) rules. 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain a stabilized approach prior to the retardant drop and his subsequent failure to release the retardant load, resulting in a stall/mush and collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 20, 2009 · about 10:43 pm local time
- Place
- Austin, Nevada · Battle Mountain · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-802A
- Registration
- N807MA · registry record · serial 802A-0145
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Firefighting flight · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was dropping fire retardant onto a saddle area located between the intersection of two perpendicular ridge lines. One of several witnesses reported that the airplane circled the area and then began a steep descent towards the intended drop point. The pilot did not release the load of retardant over the drop area. The witness observed the nose of the airplane pitch up and “mush through the flare.” The underside of the airplane then made contact with rising terrain within the saddle and continued uphill on its main landing gear toward a crest where the terrain dropped away. It then descended and collided with terrain in the valley below. Postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies with the airplane, engine, or retardant dispersal system that would have prevented operation. The dispersal system’s operating procedures recommend that it be turned off during flight to prevent inadvertent dumping of the load. According to other pilots it is not uncommon to forget to re-engage the system prior to the drop. The dispersal system included an emergency manual release mechanism that could be used in the event of a primary system failure or an inadvertent oversight by the pilot to turn the system on; however, impact damage prevented an accurate determination of the system's armed status prior to impact. Global Positioning System (GPS) information revealed an excessive rate of descent just prior to the expected drop, which corroborated witness accounts. Analysis of the accident location, with respect to the GPS data, density altitude, airplane load, and witness statements, would indicate that the airplane probably encountered a stall/mush at the drop area. The high density altitude and the airplane's flap settings would have diminished the climb performance considerably in its retardant loaded state. The airplane's continued trajectory after initial impact, as well as propeller witness marks and internal engine damage, indicated that the engine was producing power at the time of the accident.
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
What happened, in order
- Abrupt maneuver during maneuvering defining event
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Equipment/furnishings › Agricultural/external load sys › Not used/operated
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,015 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 12, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,798 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 8, 2009; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 16,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67AG (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BAM Battle Mountain NV at 10:13 pm
- Destination: BAM Battle Mountain NV
- Runway 21, 7,299 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 104°F (40°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from LOL, 54 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.