Air Tractor AT-301 accident near Langdon, ND
On July 15, 2005, an Air Tractor AT-301 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Langdon, ND. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- July 15, 2005
- Place
- Langdon, ND
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-301 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 48.787°N, 98.357°W
- NTSB ID
- 20050727X01104
NTSB summary
On July 14, 2005, at 2130 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-301, N3159N, piloted by a commercial pilot, was destroyed during impact with terrain near Langdon, North Dakota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The aerial application flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 137 without a flight plan. The pilot was fatally injured. The flight departed Robertson Field Airport (D55), Langdon, North Dakota, at an unconfirmed time. The airplane was spraying a field of canola with fungicide just prior to the accident, according to the land owner. 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. The witness did not see the airplane impact the ground due to a ridgeline which obstructed his view of the accident site. 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 pilot did not see the airplane impact the ground due to a ridgeline which obstructed his view of the airplane. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors performed the on-site examination of the wreckage. The wreckage was located in a level, open field. The aircraft engine was impacted into the field to a depth of approximately four feet. The FAA in
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the terrain while attempting an abrupt turning maneuver at a low altitude.
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Browse: North 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.
