Air Tractor Inc AT-802A accident near Capitan, NM
On June 21, 2024, an Air Tractor Inc AT-802A (airplane) was involved in an accident near Capitan, NM. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- June 21, 2024
- Place
- Capitan, NM
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor Inc AT-802A · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 33.587°N, 105.442°W
- NTSB ID
- 20240622194523
Official records · WPR24FA202
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn June 21, 2024, about 1100 mountain daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-802A airplane, N331BS, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Capitan, New Mexico. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 positioning flight. The airplane was in the No. 3 position in a flight of three airplanes that had completed their fire-fighting duties in Texas and were being repositioned to Oregon. The pilots departed Alpine-Casparis Municipal Airport (E38), Alpine, Texas, with a planned refueling stop at Gallup Municipal Airport (GUP), Gallup, New Mexico. The flight was operating under visual flight rules (VFR), at a cruise altitude of about 9,500 ft msl. The lead airplane was responsible for navigation and radio calls with Air Traffic Control (ATC) for the flight. The No. 2 airplane was positioned off the right side of the lead airplane, and the No. 3 airplane (the accident airplane) was positioned off the left side of the lead airplane. While En route to GUP, they encountered ”a light rain shower” near the Capitan Mountains in New Mexico. The No. 2 airplane’s pilot lost sight of the lead and No. 3 airplanes. The lead airplane pilot directed the other two airplanes to turn 30° and climb to reestablish visual contact with the formation. The No. 2 airplane climbed and turned right away from the lead airplane, while the lead airplane deviated slightly west. Shortly thereafter, the No. 2 airplane reestablished visual contact with the lead and No. 3 airplanes. The pilot of the No. 2 airplane reported t
Probable cause
The pilot’s decision to continue the visual flight rules flight through an apparent visual corridor that rapidly narrowed due to rising terrain and mountain obscuration, resulting in momentary instrument meteorological conditions and the pilot’s subsequent controlled flight into the obscured terrain.
More accidents in NM
- Gates Learjet 25D, Sep 5, 1993
- Piper PA-32-300, Dec 26, 1982
- Mitsubishi MU-2B-30, Jun 25, 1992
- Cessna 421C, Feb 11, 1985
- Beech 58, Mar 26, 1982
Browse: New Mexico · 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.
