2011 Air Tractor AT-602 Agricultural Crash Near Drew, Mississippi (N8525L)

Accident Overview and Flight History On July 26, 2011, at approximately 0705 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-602, registration N8525L, operated by Sturdivant Brothers Flying Service Inc, collided with a rice field while maneuvering near Drew, Mississippi. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, and the 60-year-old commercial pilot was fatally injured. The flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 for agricultural spraying. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The pilot departed from a private airstrip near Glendora, Mississippi, around 0605 to spray a soybean field between Glendora and Drew. Witnesses reported very foggy conditions, with forward visibility estimated between 150 and 200 feet at the crash site. The wreckage was located by a plantation employee about 7 miles east of Drew at 0713.