N8841S

Substantial
Serious

Air Tractor AT-301S/N: 301-0212

Accident Details

Date
Sunday, July 15, 2007
NTSB Number
CHI07CA209
Location
Lignite, ND
Event ID
20070829X01267
Coordinates
48.166667, -102.916664
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
Highest Injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Serious Injuries
1
Minor Injuries
0
Uninjured
0
Total Aboard
1

Probable Cause and Findings

The pilot's poor in-flight planning and failure to maintain control of the airplane when he encountered his own vortex turbulence at a low altitude.

Aircraft Information

Registration
N8841S
Make
AIR TRACTOR
Serial Number
301-0212
Year Built
1979
Model / ICAO
AT-301

Registered Owner (Historical)

Name
NORTHERN AG SERVICE INC
Address
44601 464TH AVE NW
Status
Deregistered
City
KENMARE
State / Zip Code
ND 58746-8962
Country
United States

Analysis

The airplane contacted the ground and power lines following a loss of control during an aerial application flight. The pilot reported that prior to spraying, he circled the field four or five times waiting for traffic to clear on a nearby road. He stated he also dropped smoke to make sure the chemical would not drift toward the road. The pilot reported that during the last circle the airplane started to settle until it contacted the terrain. The airplane then bounced and contacted the power lines. The airplane settled back to the ground, and slid across a ditch and the road before coming to rest in a grove of trees. The pilot reported that the airplane most likely contacted a vortex which resulted from the circles he made around the field. In addition, the pilot reported that he did not dump the chemical load when the airplane first started to settle toward the ground.

Data Source

Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CHI07CA209