NTSB CEN26LA036 — 2025-11-05 · Gueydan, Louisiana, United States

Current FAA registration · N7315L

Make / Model: AIR TRACTOR INC AT-502
Year of manufacture: 1987 · 38 years old at event
Engine: P&W PT6A SER (750 hp)
Seats / Engines: 1 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19870928
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A9D1D4

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N7315L AIR TRACTOR INC AT-502 Serious

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s failure to maintain situational awareness and clearance from terrain while maneuvering to avoid birds.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that he took evasive action to avoid birds during an agricultural application flight. He had completed an application pass and was in a turn to set up for the next pass when he encountered the birds. The pilot noted that he lost situational awareness and inadvertently impacted the terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that affected normal operation of the airplane before the accident. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

— Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Animal(s)/bird(s)-Contributed to outcome
— Personnel issues-Psychological-Perception/orientation/illusion-Situational awareness-Pilot
— Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Altitude-Not attained/maintained

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2025_CEN26LA036.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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