Air Tractor Inc AT 602 accident near Stirum, ND
On June 29, 2017, an Air Tractor Inc AT 602 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Stirum, ND. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- June 29, 2017
- Place
- Stirum, ND
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor Inc AT 602 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 46.220°N, 97.830°W
- NTSB ID
- 20170629X13505
Official records · CEN17LA244
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn June 29, 2017, about 0740 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT602 airplane, N4196Y, was destroyed during an in-flight collision with terrain near Stirum, North Dakota. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by Wilbur-Ellis Company as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed in the vicinity of the accident site. The flight was not operated on a flight plan. The local flight originated from the Lisbon Municipal Airport (6L3), Lisbon, North Dakota, about 0700. An employee of the operator reported that the airplane was loaded about 0500. However, the flight was delayed about two hours while the pilot waited for the local weather conditions to improve. The pilot had spoken with individuals by phone before the flight to assess the local weather conditions. The employee noted that flying was limited to mornings in the days before the accident due to afternoon wind conditions. At the time of departure, the visibility was about 1-1/2 miles with overcast clouds, a light wind, and no precipitation. A witness reported that she was sitting on her patio when she heard the airplane. The sound of the engine was normal, "not anything unusual at all." She observed the airplane emerge from the fog heading east and "within seconds" impact the ground. The airplane was level or descending slightly and did not appear to change its flight path before impacting gradually rising terrain. She noted that the airplane did not appear to be out of control, nor did i
Probable cause
The pilot's decision to attempt flight with low-level fog in the area, which resulted in an encounter with instrument meteorological conditions and impact with terrain.
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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.
