Air Tractor AT502 accident near Morganza, Louisiana, April 16, 2019
On April 16, 2019 at about 12:50 pm local time, a 2000 Air Tractor AT502, registered N599LA, was substantially damaged in an accident during uncontrolled descent near Morganza, Louisiana (Frey Farms airport). It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of aircraft control due to the separation of the elevator pushrod attachment bolt.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 16, 2019 · about 12:50 pm local time
- Place
- Morganza, Louisiana · Frey Farms · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT502 B, built 2000
- Registration
- N599LA · registry record · serial 502B-0599
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While performing an aerial application flight, the pilot heard a loud noise, followed by the nose of the airplane pitching up. The pilot applied full forward pressure on the flight control stick with no response. He then reduced the power to arrest the climb. A company employee who witnessed the accident reported that the airplane pitched up dramatically, hesitated, and then pitched almost straight nose-down before it impacted the ground. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the aluminum elevator pushrod was disconnected from the forward idler and that the attachment bolt was missing. The missing attachment bolt was later found undamaged in the wreckage and no additional anomalies were noted with the airplane or engine. It is likely the noise the pilot heard was the attachment bolt separating from elevator pushrod. After the separation, the pilot would have had little to no elevator control, which is consistent with his description of the accident sequence.
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 approach (VFR pattern final)
- Flight control sys malf/fail during uncontrolled descent defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Elevator control system › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 0 hours in all; 0 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,450.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 15, 2019
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Aerial Crop Care Inc
The flight
- Departed from: 17LS Port Barre LA at 12:30 pm
- Destination: Morganza LA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 12:27 pm from KHZR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on August 24, 2022. 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 | Maps or Charts of Accident Area (Operator) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | NTSB Airframe Examination | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Summary of Findings (FAA) | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Air Tractor Report | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | 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.