Ownership guide
Air Tractor AT-602
243 registered in the US, built from about 1997 to 2025, 2 seats, most with the Pratt & Whitney PT6A. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 243
- Built
- 1997 to 2025
- Half built by
- 2011
- Seats
- 2
- Engine type
- Turboprop
- Most common engine
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A
Engines installed
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A232 aircraft (95%) · 24 ADs, 4 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
9 current ADs name the AT-602 airframe, 7 with a repeat action; 5 more were superseded. Its engines carry 24 more.
The ones that come back
ADs with a repeat action: an inspection or replacement at an interval, for as long as the AD applies. These are the airworthiness costs an owner keeps paying.
- 2021-05-14Requires repetitive visual and dye penetrant inspections of the flap actuator attachment bracket welds for cracks and replacement if cracks are identifiedTe flap control system · AirplaneRepeat actionMar 25, 2021
- 2009-11-05Continue repetitively inspecting the engine mounts for cracks for all previously affected Air Tractor, IncAir Tractor, Inc. Models AT-400, AT-400A, AT-402, AT-402A, AT-402B, AT-502, AT-502A, AT-502B, AT-503A, AT-602, AT-802, and AT-802A Airplanes · AirplaneSupersedes 2008-10-12Repeat actionMay 22, 2009
- 2007-10-01Install access holes to do repetitive detailed visual inspections for cracks in the horizontal stabilizer brace tube assembly, and if any cracks are found as a result of a visual inspection, to replace the horizontal...Air Tractor, Inc. Model AT-602 Airplanes · AirplaneRepeat actionMay 8, 2007
- 2006-23-14Repetitively visually inspect the rudder and vertical fin hinge attaching structure (vertical fin skins, spars, hinges, and brackets) for loose fasteners, cracks, and/or corrosionAir Tractor, Inc. Models AT-502, AT-502A, AT-502B, AT-602, AT-802, and AT-802A Airplanes · AirplaneRepeat actionNov 16, 2006
- 2006-23-01Repetitively inspect (using the eddy current method) the wing center splice joint two outboard fastener holes on both of the wing main spar lower caps for fatigue cracking; repair or replace any wing main spar lower...Air Tractor, Inc. Model AT-602 Airplanes · AirplaneRepeat actionNov 9, 2006
- 2005-13-12Repetitively tighten the four eyebolts that attach the front and rear spar of the horizontal stabilizer to the respective stabilizer strut to the specified torque, and repetitively replace at specified intervals any...Air Tractor, Inc. Models AT-300, AT-301, AT-302, AT-400, AT-400A, AT-401, AT-402, AT-602, AT-802, and AT-802A Airplanes · AirplaneRepeat actionJun 22, 2005
- 2004-15-15Air Tractor, Inc. Models AT-401, AT-401B, AT-402, AT-402A, AT-402B, AT-501, AT-502, AT-502A, AT-502B, AT-503A, AT-602, AT-802, and AT-802A AirplanesAirplaneSupersedes 2002-19-10Repeat actionJul 30, 2004
What gets reported
1 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.
Systems reported most
- Tire Tube1
Parts reported most
- Tube, failed1
The latest reports
2016-03-04 · Tire Tube · Tube, failed
Right main tire went flat upon landing.
From the FAA's Service Difficulty Reporting System, refreshed monthly. Counts of what was reported, not failure rates: most of general aviation reports voluntarily, and a busy training fleet reports more than a private one.
Accident record
72 accidents since 2008, 18 fatal (18 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 9 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Low altitude operation/event13
- Loss of control in flight10
- Loss of engine power (total)8
- Loss of control on ground4
- Aerodynamic stall/spin3
- Fuel contamination3
Phase of flight
- Maneuvering44
- Takeoff9
- Landing6
- Enroute5
- Initial climb5
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-13 | Morven, GA | Enroute: Birdstrike | None | ERA26LA337 |
| 2026-06-03 | Breaux bridge, LA | Maneuvering: Loss of engine power (total) | None | CEN26LA218 |
| 2026-05-30 | Robbins, CA | Enroute: Loss of engine power (total) | Minor | WPR26LA204 |
| 2026-05-05 | El campo, TX | Takeoff: Loss of control in flight | None | CEN26LA177 |
| 2026-05-01 | Bealeton, VA | Maneuvering: Powerplant sys/comp failure | None | ERA26LA195 |
| 2025-05-25 | Fremont, OH | Takeoff: Runway excursion | None | ERA25LA212 |
From the NTSB's aviation accident database, refreshed monthly; accidents only, homebuilts left out. Counts, not rates: nobody publishes how many hours each model flies, and a training fleet flies far more than a private one. Look up any case by its number in the NTSB's CAROL.
What it costs to run
Per hour flown
Per year, flown or not
- Fuel
- $0/hr
- Engine reserve
- $0/hr
- A year
- $0
- All in, per hour
- $0/hr
Everything else is yours to fill in: insurance, hangar and overhaul prices vary too much by pilot, airport and shop for a default to mean anything. Nothing you type leaves this page.
Before you buy one
- Run its N-number through the AD check: every AD that names its airframe and engine, as a checklist to take to the logbooks.
- For each repeat-action AD (7 on the airframe), find the last compliance in the logbooks and when the next one is due.
- Compare the engine's time since overhaul with its maker's published overhaul time, and look for the reason behind any long gap in flying.
- Ask the mechanic doing the pre-buy to look hard at the tire tube and for failed tubes: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- Check the registration, the airworthiness certificate and the date of the last annual inspection.
- Work out the sales or use tax your state will charge with the aircraft tax calculator.
Questions
- How many Air Tractor AT-602s are registered in the US?
- 243, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Air Tractor AT-602 built?
- From about 1997 to 2025. Half of those registered today were built by 2011.
- What engine does the Air Tractor AT-602 have?
- Most have the Pratt & Whitney PT6A (95% of those registered).
- What are common problems with the Air Tractor AT-602?
- In 1 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were tire tube, and the part most often reported was a failed tube.
- How many accidents has the Air Tractor AT-602 had?
- 72 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 18 of them fatal. The most common defining event was low altitude operation/event. These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
- How many Airworthiness Directives does the Air Tractor AT-602 have?
- 9 current ADs name the AT-602 airframe, 7 of them with a repeat action, and 24 more name its engines. Whether each applies to one aircraft depends on its serial number and installed equipment.
Figures from the FAA aircraft registry and the FAA's Airworthiness Directives, rebuilt daily. An AD listed for a model is one to read; whether it applies to one aircraft depends on its serial number, equipment and records.