Air Tractor AT-402B N647RA

Summary

On 15 July 2025 at about 12:12 local time, a Air Tractor AT-402B registered N647RA, operated by Diversified Applications Inc., was involved in an accident near Wyoming, Illinois, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 July 2025 at 12:12

Classification

Accident

Location

Wyoming, Illinois, United States

Nearest airport

Private (PVT)

Coordinates

41.0144, -89.7161

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-402B

Registration

N647RA

Category

Airplane

Year built

2012

Engines

1

Operator

Diversified Applications Inc.

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN25LA267

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot’s failure to attain a positive climb rate due to airplane’s improper takeoff configuration.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the aerial application flight stated that he landed on a company grass strip and loaded the airplane with liquid fertilizer. He then departed to spray the fertilizer and returned to the airstrip about 30-40 minutes later. He loaded the airplane with the same quantity of fertilizer for a second flight. He said that during the second takeoff, he was turning the airplane and powering up the engine, when he hit the wing flap rocker switch to extend flaps. During the takeoff roll, which was to the east, the sun was in his eyes and when the airplane tail lifted off the ground, he saw that the airplane had veered a little to the left into an area of taller grass. He returned the airplane along the intended takeoff path down the runway, and toward the runway end, he rotated the airplane, but the airplane settled into a soybean field. The airplane impacted the field and sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot was not wearing tinted glasses, and the helmet visor that he was wearing was also not tinted at the time of the accident takeoff. The pilot stated that after the accident he observed that the wing flaps were retracted. The pilot stated there was no mechanical malfunction or failure of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot believed that during the accident takeoff, the airplane settled into the soybean field because the airplane lost takeoff speed when it went into the area of taller grass on the runway.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.