N173TA

N173TA is an Air Tractor AT-802, a single-engine turboprop operated by TAYLOR AVIATION INC. SkyMeter has tracked 324 flights totalling 421 hours of airtime via ADS-B across 2 callsigns. The most frequent segment is KTVY to KTVY. Service window in our records spans 400 days. Of those flights, 92 (28.4%) carry at least one detected incident: a go-around, unstable approach, stall warning, or runway excursion. The Air Tractor AT-802 has a 59 ft wingspan, a maximum takeoff weight of 16,000 lb.

About the Air Tractor AT-802

The Air Tractor AT-802 is a single-engine turboprop agricultural aircraft built by Air Tractor Inc. in Olney, Texas, and first delivered in 1990. Powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67AG producing 1,350 shaft horsepower, the AT-802 is among the largest and most capable single-engine ag-planes in production, with a maximum takeoff weight of 16,000 pounds and a hopper capacity of up to 800 gallons for liquid or 5,000 pounds of dry material. Its rugged low-wing design and exceptional payload make it a workhorse for crop dusting, forestry spraying, and mosquito control across North America, Latin America, and Australia.

Beyond agriculture, the AT-802 has found a second career as an aerial firefighting platform. Designated the AT-802F Fire Boss, it can scoop water from lakes and rivers in as little as 12 seconds while skimming the surface at 70 knots, then deliver 800 gallons per drop with pinpoint accuracy. This amphibious capability has made it indispensable for initial attack on wildfires in remote terrain where traditional tankers cannot operate. The type's combination of short-field performance, slow-speed handling, and turbine reliability allows it to work from unimproved strips and operate safely at low altitude in turbulent conditions that would ground most aircraft.

The AT-802 cruises at around 150 knots and has a service ceiling near 20,000 feet, though typical working altitudes are below 100 feet for application runs. Its PT6A engine provides single-lever power control and excellent hot-and-high performance, critical for operations in the American Southwest and tropical regions. The cockpit is positioned high and forward for maximum visibility during low-level maneuvering, and the airframe is stressed for +3.5/-1.5 G, far beyond what most utility aircraft can sustain. SkyMeter has tracked flights across airframes and operators, with the largest observed operator.