Air Tractor AT-502 N5063N

Summary

On 1 March 2026 at about 17:42 local time, a Air Tractor AT-502 registered N5063N, operated by Old River Applicators LLC, was involved in an accident near Larose, Louisiana, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 March 2026 at 17:42

Classification

Accident

Location

Larose, Louisiana, United States

Coordinates

29.5620, -90.3411

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-502

Registration

N5063N

Category

Airplane

Year built

1997

Engines

1

Operator

Old River Applicators LLC

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cut Off → Cut Off

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN26LA128

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s improper fuel planning and his failure to adequately monitor the fuel level during flight, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, and a total loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of attention performing the task, which led to a loss of situational awareness.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the aerial application airplane applied the liquid chemical load to a field of sugarcane. The airplane was returning to the private airstrip with an empty hopper when a total loss of engine power occurred. The pilot performed a forced landing to a wooded area. The airplane came to rest upright, and the pilot was able to egress from the airplane without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and to both wings. During the airplane recovery operation, less than two gallons of Jet A fuel were recovered from the two wing fuel tanks and the header fuel tank. The pilot reported that during the aerial application work, he lost track of the time, he spent more time in his low-level turns than needed, and the airplane ran out of fuel. The operator reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane was not equipped with a low fuel warning light system, nor was it required to be. According to the airframe manufacturer, a low fuel warning light system is available for certain serial numbered airplanes, and the retrofit installation is encouraged in two of their previously released service letters.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.