20170629009639A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Air Tractor AT-602 · Gwinner, ND · June 29, 2017

Date: June 29, 2017 · 07:41 local
Place: Gwinner, ND
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: VDKG
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N4196Y
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN17LA244
Reported as: Air Tractor AT-602
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-60AG
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot

N4196YRegistration cancelled May 3, 2018 · Air Tractor AT-602S/N 602-1183 · Built 2010 Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-602 Engine modelPratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-60AGTurbo-prop

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Pilot left lisbon ND approximately 0700 to spray fungicide on potatoes, southwest of crash site. Aircraft was loaded with 6OO gallons of water and chemical, 34.5 gallons of chemical (bravo), and 170 to 190 gallons of fuel.

It appears pilot was unable to locate fields due to fog in the area where weather reporting equipment was not located, and it appears he was attempting to return to lisbon, ND or Gwinner, ND based on flight direction when accident happened.

Aircraft encounters fog bank to the west of the accident site and exits heading northeast, flying into rising terrain approximately 0740 June 29, 2017.

Due to the impact, debris field and damaged parts it appears to be a low angle, high-energy impact.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT LEFT LISBON ND APPROXIMATELY 0700 TO SPRAY FUNGICIDE ON POTATOES, SOUTHWEST OF CRASH SITE. AIRCRAFT WAS LOADED WITH 6OO GALLONS OF WATER AND CHEMICAL, 34.5 GALLONS OF CHEMICAL (BRAVO), AND 170 TO 190 GALLONS OF FUEL.

IT APPEARS PILOT WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE FIELDS DUE TO FOG IN THE AREA WHERE WEATHER REPORTING EQUIPMENT WAS NOT LOCATED, AND IT APPEARS HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO RETURN TO LISBON, ND OR GWINNER, ND BASED ON FLIGHT DIRECTION WHEN ACCIDENT HAPPENED.

AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERS FOG BANK TO THE WEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE AND EXITS HEADING NORTHEAST, FLYING INTO RISING TERRAIN APPROXIMATELY 0740 JUNE 29, 2017.

DUE TO THE IMPACT, DEBRIS FIELD AND DAMAGED PARTS IT APPEARS TO BE A LOW ANGLE, HIGH-ENERGY IMPACT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN17LA244Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportStirum, NDThe 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.Jun 29, 2017 · Destroyed