Air Tractor Inc AT-802A

Aircraft Manufacturer: Air Tractor Inc

Model: AT-802A

About the Air Tractor Inc AT-802A

The AT-802A is the most-registered model in Air Tractor's lineup, with more than 500 active aircraft on the U.S. civil registry. The model accounts for about 31% of Air Tractor's active registered fleet.

About 80% of all AT-802A airframes ever on the U.S. registry remain registered, with more than 100 deregistered.

On the type's safety record, the AT-802A sits at about three-quarters of its peer cohort, meaning a higher accident rate than most comparable types, where a higher percentile means a higher accident rate. Its accident rate is about 7.9 accidents per 1,000 aircraft-years over the type's FAA-registration exposure. Of 49 recorded accidents for this model, 14 were fatal.

The FAA lists 11 active airworthiness directives against the AT-802A out of 16 issued in total, the most recent dated September 4, 2024.

Aircraft Details

Aircraft Details
Manufacturer Air Tractor Inc
Manufacturer Serial Number 0390308
Model AT-802A
Category Land
Aircraft Type Fixed wing single engine
Weight Class 3 (20,000+ lbs gross take off weight)
Engine Type Turbo-prop
Number of Engines 1 engine
Number of Seats 2 seats
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Safety Analysis

Composition of NTSB accident records for this model in general-aviation operations (FAR Part 91 and 137), based on NTSB data as of May 1, 2026. It's a breakdown of recorded accidents rather than a safety rating, and types with significant non-GA operation (such as Part 135) may be under-represented.

100%
Identity Confirmed

Accidents are identity-confirmed against FAA registration records (two independent sources).


36 exact, 13 recovered, 0 provisional

Methodology
49
Recorded GA Accidents

Total recorded general-aviation accidents within the analyzed period.


14 fatal accidents.

28.6% of recorded accidents were fatal.

576
Currently Registered

Active aircraft fleet size contributing to the exposure data.


6,321 (± 276)

Aircraft-years of FAA registration exposure (2008–present).


Comparison

Within its peer cohort

Within this model's peer class (same aircraft type, engine class, and seat range), comparison of its share of recorded NTSB accidents to its share of FAA registration exposure (aircraft-years since 2008).

This is a share comparison, not flight-hours adjusted, so a model flown more per airframe than its peers will show an accident share above its exposure share even if its per-hour safety is average. Methodology →

Model class Share of cohort
Accidents
1.3%
Exposure
0.7%
Time series

Accidents by year

Recorded NTSB general-aviation accidents per calendar year, derived directly from the NTSB accident database. Each bar shows the accidents that occurred in that year. Methodology →

Investigations take 12–36 months to finalise, so the trailing years come in incomplete. Recent years are adjusted upward for that lag. Observed counts show as solid bars, the lag-adjusted estimate shows hatched.

2008 – 2025 Total 49
Accidents by year Accidents by year (total 49 observed): 2008 1, 2009 1, 2010 2, 2011 4, 2012 2, 2013 2, 2014 4, 2015 1, 2016 1, 2017 7, 2018 3, 2019 2, 2020 3, 2021 4, 2022 3, 2023 2, 2024 5, 2025 2. 3 6 9 12 0 1 '08 1 '09 2 '10 4 '11 2 '12 2 '13 4 '14 1 '15 1 '16 7 '17 3 '18 2 '19 3 '20 4 '21 3 '22 2 '23 6 '24 2 '25
Composition

Phase of flight

Which phase of flight each accident occurred in, as coded by the NTSB. Most accidents happen in the phases where most flying time is concentrated, so this isn't a measure of which phase is most dangerous.

7 categories Total 48
Maneuvering 32
Takeoff 8
Landing 3
Enroute 2
Standing 1
Taxi 1
Initial climb 1
Causes

Finding category

Top-level NTSB cause category, from the coded investigation findings. An accident often has more than one finding, so totals here can exceed the recorded accident count.

NTSB top-level codes Total 135
Personnel issues 54
Aircraft 39
Environmental issues 35
Not determined 7
Outcomes

Injury severity

NTSB classification of the worst injury in each accident: None, Minor, Serious, or Fatal. Each accident counts in exactly one severity.

Highest per accident Total 49
None 22
Fatal 14
Serious 9
Minor 4

Operating-rule mix (all parts): 137 (45)· PUBU (9)· 091 (4)· NUSN (1)

Recorded Accidents

All 49 recorded NTSB general-aviation accidents for this model, most recent first.

Date Location Tail Damage Highest injury Phase of flight Finding categories
Walcott, IA N802BF Substantial None Maneuvering Aircraft, Personnel issues
Cash, AR N41687 Substantial None Maneuvering Personnel issues, Aircraft
Inguadona, MN N212FB Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft
Cuba, KY N2003Y Substantial Fatal Maneuvering Not determined
Bonita, LA N795LA Minor Fatal Maneuvering Personnel issues
Capitan, NM N331BS Destroyed Fatal Maneuvering unknown
England, AR N8515G Substantial Serious Maneuvering Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Aberdeen, SD N8503W Substantial None Taxi Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Wellington, FL N3069S Substantial None Maneuvering Aircraft, Personnel issues
Onalaska, TX N830DA Substantial None Takeoff Personnel issues, Environmental issues, Aircraft
Portland, AR N749LA Destroyed Fatal Maneuvering Personnel issues
Weiner, AR N579LA Destroyed Serious Maneuvering Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Estes Park, CO N802NZ Substantial Fatal Uncontrolled descent Environmental issues, Aircraft
Fort Sumner, NM N9197F Destroyed Serious Maneuvering Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Newell, IA N949TM Substantial None Maneuvering Aircraft, Personnel issues
Newellton, LA N523BB Substantial Fatal Maneuvering Personnel issues
Dell, AR N759FA Substantial Fatal Maneuvering Aircraft
Birch Creek, AK N80166 Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Not determined
Unalakleet, AK N779DA Substantial None Takeoff Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Columbus, MS N801BF Substantial Serious Maneuvering Aircraft, Not determined
Fisher, AR N802WW Substantial None Takeoff Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Napoleon, ND N968JB Substantial Serious Maneuvering Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Truman, AR N4170S Substantial None Maneuvering Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Greenwood, MS N581LA Substantial Fatal Maneuvering Not determined
Galesburg, IL N528MB Substantial None Maneuvering Aircraft, Personnel issues

Page 1 of 2 (showing accidents 1–25 of 49).

Airworthiness Directives

Composition of FAA airworthiness directives (ADs) that apply to this model, as of October 15, 2026. ADs are mandatory FAA-issued corrective actions for safety-of-flight issues. Pilots, owners, and operators should always verify against the current FAA AD listing before any maintenance or flight action. Methodology →

11 active · 17 total airworthiness directives issued against this model · most recent:


Time series

Directives by year

Count of airworthiness directives issued against this model per calendar year (publication date in the Federal Register). Includes both active and superseded directives. An active AD still applies; a superseded one was replaced by a later AD.

2002 – 2026 Total 17
Airworthiness directives by year Airworthiness directives by year (total 17 observed): 2002 2, 2004 1, 2005 1, 2006 4, 2007 1, 2009 2, 2010 1, 2011 1, 2014 1, 2023 1, 2024 1, 2026 1. 2 4 6 8 0 2 '02 1 '04 1 '05 4 '06 1 '07 2 '09 1 '10 1 '11 1 '14 1 '23 1 '24 1 '26
Subject

Directives by system / component (JASC / ATA code)

Breakdown of the AD count for this model by the FAA's coded subject classification. The corpus mixes legacy 2-digit ATA chapter codes and modern 4-digit JASC codes; both forms are surfaced as separate bars (see the methodology page).

4 categories Total 10
JASC/ATA 5510 3
JASC/ATA 5514 3
JASC/ATA 5530 3
Wings 1

Recent directives

The most recent airworthiness directives applicable to this model, by effective date. A Superseded badge means a later AD has replaced this one; we still list the original so it isn't lost from the page.

AD number Effective date Subject Status
2026-16-12 Airworthiness Directives; Air Tractor, Inc. Airplanes Active
2024-16-06 Airworthiness Directives; Air Tractor, Inc. Airplanes Superseded
2023-15-07 Airworthiness Directives; Air Tractor, Inc. Airplanes Superseded
2014-16-17 Airworthiness Directives; Air Tractor, Inc. Airplanes Active
2010-17-18 Airworthiness Directives; Air Tractor, Inc. Models AT-802 and AT-802A Airplanes Superseded
Data presented on this website is sourced directly from official Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records. To ensure accuracy, we try not to correct issues such as improper punctuation, spelling errors, empty fields, or unusual labels like "SALE REPORTED" for a registrant. We make every effort to present information as it appears in the FAA database. This website is not affiliated with any government agency.