NTSB CEN24LA165 — 2024-04-24 · Olney, Texas, United States

Current FAA registration · N6108L

Make / Model: AIR TRACTOR INC AT-502B
Year of manufacture: 1995 · 29 years old at event
Engine: P&W PT6A SERIES (500 hp)
Seats / Engines: 1 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19950308
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A7F239

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N6108L AIR TRACTOR INC AT-502B None

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during landing in gusty wind conditions.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that he was completing a practice flight in an airplane which he had 3 hours of total flight experience. While on short final a gust of wind lifted the right wing, the airplane veered left, and he was unable to maintain control. The airplane landed hard in a field next to the runway and sustained substantial damage to the left and right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident the pilot was landing on runway 17. The nearest weather station recorded wind from 120° at 8 knots and gusts to 15 knots. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

— Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Gusts-Contributed to outcome
— Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Pitch control-Not attained/maintained
— Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Lateral/bank control-Not attained/maintained

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2024_CEN24LA165.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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