Air Tractor AT-802A N41687

Summary

On 28 March 2025 at about 12:55 local time, a Air Tractor AT-802A registered N41687 was involved in an accident near Cash, Arkansas, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 March 2025 at 12:55

Classification

Accident

Location

Cash, Arkansas, United States

Coordinates

35.7920, -90.9359

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-802A

Registration

N41687

Category

Airplane

Year built

2008

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cash → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN25LA140

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from an excavator during low-altitude aerial application operations.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The aerial application airplane arrived at the field to apply product, and the pilot visually observed an unoccupied excavator parked near the field. The pilot decided to perform a spray pass up to the excavator and then climb over it and continue the spray pass. When the pilot approached the excavator, he misjudged its height, and the left tire impacted the boom arm. After the airplane struck the boom arm, it impacted the ground and slid about 300 yards which resulted in substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The airplane came to rest upright, and the pilot was able to egress from the airplane without further incident. The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.