Air Tractor AT-402B N484WB
3 June 2001 · Mount Vernon, South Dakota, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 3 June 2001 at about 13:32 local time, a Air Tractor AT-402B registered N484WB was involved in an accident near Mount Vernon, South Dakota, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 13:32
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Mount Vernon, South Dakota, United States
- Coordinates
- 43.7095, -98.2596
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-402B
- Registration
- N484WB
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 137: Agricultural
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial Application
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Mitchell → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CHI01LA151
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
the pilot not maintaining aircraft control while maneuvering close to the ground.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
An Air Tractor 201 impacted the terrain 4.5 miles northeast of Mount Vernon, South Dakota. A witness said he was outside in his farmyard working when he heard an airplane working east of his farm. The witness said he saw the airplane a couple of times as it was making turns. The witness said he could hear the airplane's engine. He then heard a loud crash noise and didn't hear the airplane's engine anymore. An examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies. FAA toxicology testing of specimens from the pilot showed trace levels of QUININE in blood. Quinine is found in tonic water and is used to treat malaria. It is also commonly used to reduce the frequency of nocturnal leg cramps - a condition which may cause painful leg muscle spasm at night, and was available over-the-counter for this purpose until 1995. The side effects of quinine can include disturbances of vision, hearing, and balance. According to the pilot's brother, tonic water was the pilot's favorite beverage. The night prior to the accident, the pilot was observed drinking tonic water with his dinner.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Air Tractor AT-402B accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Apr 2003 | Air Tractor AT-402B | Taft, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Apr 2004 | Air Tractor AT-402B | Goliad, Texas, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 23 Jun 1997 | Air Tractor AT-402B | Ridgely, Tennessee, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 7 Jul 2007 | Air Tractor AT-402B | Eldorado, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Jul 2008 | Air Tractor AT-402B | Deerfield, Kansas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 12 Jun 2008 | Air Tractor AT-402B | Muscle Shoals, Alabama, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Jul 2001 | Aero Commander S2R | Pierre, South Dakota, United States | Ice Spray Service | Serious injuries | - |
| 26 Jul 2001 | Cessna 150M | Rapid City, South Dakota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jul 2001 | Taylorcraft BC12-D | Wall, South Dakota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 19 Feb 2001 | Beechcraft 95-B55 | Norris, South Dakota, United States | - | Fatal | 3 |
| 8 Feb 2001 | Beechcraft 65-B80 | Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 6 Aug 2001 | Grice AVID FLYER | Belle Fourche, South Dakota, United States | - | No injuries | - |