Air Tractor AT-301 N3159N

Summary

On 15 July 2005 at about 02:30 local time, a Air Tractor AT-301 registered N3159N was involved in an accident near Langdon, North 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.

Date

15 July 2005 at 02:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Langdon, North Dakota, United States

Coordinates

48.7867, -98.3567

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-301

Registration

N3159N

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Langdon → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI05LA188

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the terrain while attempting an abrupt turning maneuver at a low altitude.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The agricultural airplane impacted terrain while maneuvering at a low altitude during an aerial application flight. The airplane was spraying a field of canola with fungicide just prior to the accident. The land owner reported that after a spray-run the airplane continued about a half mile beyond the end of the field before pitching-up. An agricultural pilot, who was operating near the accident site, saw the airplane "take a straight line up and arch across the top violently and then it appeared to go straight down." The pilot stated that the airplane did not climb higher than 200 feet above ground level before abruptly pitching to the right and entering the nose low attitude. The wreckage was located in a level, open field. The aircraft engine was impacted into the field to a depth of approximately four feet. Flight control continuity was established between all flight control surfaces and the cockpit. No anomalies were found that could be determined to have existed prior to impact.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.