Air Tractor AT-301 N2371V

Summary

On 23 July 2025 at about 13:30 local time, a Air Tractor AT-301 registered N2371V, operated by T&M Aircraft LLC, was involved in an accident near Hartsburg, Illinois, 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

23 July 2025 at 13:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Hartsburg, Illinois, United States

Nearest airport

Pvt (PVT)

Coordinates

40.2367, -89.4274

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-301

Registration

N2371V

Category

Airplane

Year built

1982

Engines

1

Operator

T&M Aircraft LLC

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN25LA283

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during takeoff with a tailwind from a wet turf airstrip.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that shortly after takeoff for the aerial application flight, the airplane settled back toward the ground and struck the surrounding crop at the departure end of the grass strip. During the accident sequence, the airplane came to rest upright and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, and right wing. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations. The pilot was familiar with the field and assessed that the grass was taller, recent rain made the ground softer, and a tailwind was present. He considered these factors in his fuel and product calculations and took off with a slightly reduced load and a weight of 7,252 pounds at takeoff. However, he stated that the accident could have been prevented if the airplane’s weight was further reduced for the conditions.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.