NTSB CEN25LA187 — 2025-05-23 · Goudeau, Louisiana, United States

Current FAA registration · N216TA

Make / Model: AIR TRACTOR INC AT-602
Year of manufacture: 2013 · 12 years old at event
Engine: P&W CANADA PT6A-65AG (1300 hp)
Seats / Engines: 2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 20130430
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A1D176

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N216TA AIR TRACTOR INC AT-602 None

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s inadvertent encounter with soft terrain conditions during the landing which resulted in a loss of directional and a subsequent nose-over.

Factual narrative

The pilot stated that during the landing on a dry grass airstrip, the airplane encountered a soft terrain area on the runway. The airplane was then pulled into a softer area toward the edge of the runway where it nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing leading edge and ribs and the vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot further reported that the accident could have been prevented by refraining from operating on airstrips with soft runways. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

— Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Attain/maintain not possible
— Environmental issues-Physical environment-Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface-Soft surface-Ability to respond/compensate
— Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2025_CEN25LA187.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.