Air Tractor AT-602 N602RH

Summary

On 1 May 2026 at about 16:30 local time, a Air Tractor AT-602 registered N602RH, operated by Eastern Aviation LLC, was involved in an accident near Bealeton, Virginia, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause has been published yet; this accident is still under investigation.

Date

1 May 2026 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Bealeton, Virginia, United States

Coordinates

38.5437, -77.7299

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-602

Registration

N602RH

Category

Airplane

Year built

2001

Engines

1

Operator

Eastern Aviation LLC

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Warrenton → Manquin

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA26LA195

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. The investigation is still open; a final report usually follows one to two years after the accident.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

On May 1, 2026, at 1230 eastern daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-602, N602RH, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Bealeton, Virginia. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 agricultural flight. The pilot reported that he was conducting an aerial application flight over a farm field and had completed previous passes uneventfully. During his last pass, the propeller blades moved uncommanded into the feather position, which resulted in a loss of thrust. The airplane was at a low altitude, and the pilot could only maneuver to a short field to make a forced landing. Upon touchdown, the pilot intentionally ground looped the airplane to avoid overrunning the field. The airplane’s landing gear collapsed, and the fuselage was substantially damaged. The airplane’s engine continued to operate with the propeller rotating until it was shut down. The wreckage was retained for further examination.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.