Air Tractor INC AT 802A accident near Hazelton, Idaho, July 28, 2014
On July 28, 2014 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Air Tractor INC AT 802A, registered N802TY, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Hazelton, Idaho (Hazelton Muni 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 failure to maintain aircraft control during takeoff roll in variable wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 28, 2014 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Hazelton, Idaho · Hazelton Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor INC AT 802A A · all AT 802As on the register
- Registration
- N802TY · no longer on the register · serial 802A-0556
- 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 reported that during takeoff roll in a tail wheeled airplane for the aerial application flight, as he rotated the airplane, it would not lift off and he applied full flaps. The airplane would still not lift off the runway, so he jettisoned the entire load from the hopper. Subsequently, the airplane pitched up and despite his control inputs, stalled, and impacted the ground. Substantial damage was sustained to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot added that he felt that either a downdraft or change in wind direction occurred 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
- Loss of lift during takeoff defining event
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Variable wind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 3,684 hours in all; 302 in this make and model; 293 in the last 90 days; 148 in the last 30 days; 3,617 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 7, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 305 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 15, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 16,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67AG (turboprop); 305 hours total
- Operator: Red Baron AG Service Inc
The flight
- Departed from: U94 Hazelton ID at 9:00 pm
- Destination: U94 Hazelton ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 06, 2,800 ft by 90 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from BYI, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on November 10, 2014. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation - Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.