# Accident 20210620007959A: Air Tractor Inc AT-502B, Edwardsburg, MI, June 20, 2021

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 20, 2021, 13:37 local time
- Place: Edwardsburg, MI
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Other, Specify
- Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
- Operator: NIXG
- Location: 41.7956° N, 86.0808° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.7956&lon=-86.0808&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8523Z, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8523Z-2023-06-10) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Air Tractor AT-502B (registry code 0390307, https://openairdocs.org/model/air-tractor-at-502b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A series (registry code 52034, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-pt6a-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AIR TRACTOR INC AT-502B
- Reported engine: P&W PT6A SERIES
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport
- Pilot flight hours: 27,610 total, 2,400 in this make and model, 60 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN21LA283](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA283) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210620007959A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON JUNE 20, 2021 AT 1337 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AIR TRACTOR AT-502B AIRCRAFT, N8523Z, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT IMPACTED TREES FOLLOWING A DELAY IN CLIMB INITIATION AFTER SEVERAL PASSES FOR SPRAY APPLICATION. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND LIGHT WINDS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE COMMERCIAL FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 137 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN.  THE PILOT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT HAD DEPARTED NEARBY KEKM AIRPORT MINUTES EARLIER AT APPROXIMATELY 1330 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME.

ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE WAS SPRAYING A POTATO FIELD CARRYING 260 GALLONS OF LIQUID FUNGICIDE. AFTER MAKING MULTIPLE PASSES HE STATED THAT HE MISJUDGED THE RISING TERRAIN AND PULLED BACK ON THE CONTROLS TOO LATE. WHEN HE REALIZED HE WOULD NOT CLEAR THE TREES HE RELEASED THE FUNGICIDE. THE AIRCRAFT CLIPPED THE TREES WITH THE LEFT WING, LEAVING PORTIONS OF THE WINGTIP IN THE TREETOPS. THE AIRCRAFT THEN SPUN ABOUT 180 DEGREES, COMING TO REST FACING THE DIRECTION HE HAD ENTERED THE WOODS. THE AIRCRAFT NOSE AND ENGINE COMPARTMENTS, ALONG WITH THE WINGS AND TAIL SECTIONS WERE DAMAGED IN THE IMPACT. NO POST-CRASH FIRE OCCURRED. PILOT WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT UNAIDED THROUGH THE RIGHT COCKPIT DOOR.

WEATHER REPORT AT KEKM AIRPORT AT 1752 UTC WAS: WIND 250 DEGREES AT 8KNOTS, VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES, CLEAR, TEMP 26 DEW POINT 21 AND ALTIMETER 29.72.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CEN21LA283](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA283), Jun 20, 2021: Air Tractor AT-502B (N8523Z), Edwardsburg, MI, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to identify rising terrain and to maintain terrain clearance from trees during an aerial application pass that resulted in an in-flight collision with trees and terrain.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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