Air Tractor AT-402B accident near Mount Vernon, SD
On June 3, 2001, an Air Tractor AT-402B (airplane) was involved in an accident near Mount Vernon, SD. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- June 3, 2001
- Place
- Mount Vernon, SD
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-402B · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 43.709°N, 98.260°W
- NTSB ID
- 20010607X01087
NTSB summary
On June 3, 2001, at approximately 0832 central daylight time, an Air Tractor, AT-402B, N484WB, operated by a commercial pilot was destroyed when maneuvering to reverse direction it impacted the terrain 4.5 miles northeast of Mount Vernon, South Dakota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The aerial application flight was being conducted under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 137. There was no flight plan on file. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The local flight originated at Mitchell, South Dakota, at 0738. A witness in the vicinity of the accident site 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. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the airplane at the accident site. On arrival, the inspector found the airplane in a grass field approximately 50 yards south of an east-west running line of trees. The front of the airplane, the propeller, and the engine, were buried in the ground. Impressions in the ground corresponded with where the leading edges of both wings came to rest. An arc-shaped slash in the ground was observed in the area around where the engine and cowling had impacted the ground. The propeller blades were buried in the ground so that only the blade tips were visible. The blades were curled aft at the tips. On removal of the airplane from the acci
Probable cause
the pilot not maintaining aircraft control while maneuvering close to the ground.
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Browse: South Dakota · Air Tractor aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
