Air Tractor AT-400 accident near Balko, OK
On August 5, 2013, an Air Tractor AT-400 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Balko, OK. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- August 5, 2013
- Place
- Balko, OK
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-400 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 36.522°N, 100.877°W
- NTSB ID
- 20130807X14838
Official records · CEN13FA465
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn August 5, 2013, about 1015 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-400, N3159B, collided with a meteorological tower southwest of Balko, Oklahoma. The commercial pilot was fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to and operated by Terhune Flying Service, Inc., Perryton, Texas, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 as an aerial application flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight originated from a private airstrip near Perryton, Texas, about 1000. The airplane was carrying 200 gallons of herbicides --- Roundup, Sterling Blue, and Traxion --- and about 100 gallons of fuel. The pilot was en route to spray a field about 2 miles northeast of the accident site. A witness, who was in a road grader about ½-mile north of the accident site, said the airplane was flying straight and level when it collided with the meteorological tower. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot, age 34, held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single and multiengine land ratings. He also held a second class airman medical certificate, dated January 24, 2013, with no restrictions or limitations. His last flight review was accomplished on March 8, 2012. His employer reported the pilot had accrued 1,750 total flight hours, of which 600 hours were in the Air Tractor AT-400. AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONN3159B, serial number 400-0462, a model AT-400, was manufactured by Air Tractor, Inc., of Wichita Falls, Texas, in 1982. It was powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-15AG turboprop, s
Probable cause
The pilot's failure maintain clearance from a meteorological tower while en route at a low altitude. Contributing to the accident was the sun's glare.
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Browse: Oklahoma · 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.
