What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 25, 2023, at approximately 0830 central time, an Air tractor AT-402 departed a private airport after being reloaded to perform aerial application operations to corn fields in the area. The aircraft was gone for approximately one hour, which was longer than the operator anticipated the aircraft to be gone. The privacy data omittedof the 137 company took off in a second aircraft to begin searching. The aircraft was found in a cornfield. The privacy data omittedreported the accident to 911 and his employees. The 137 privacy data omitted was first on scene. The PIC of the accident aircraft had attempted to evacuate the aircraft but was unsuccessful under his own power. The PIC was airlifted to a nearby hospital with a broken leg, broken ribs, neck injury and difficulty breathing. One day after the accident, the FAA arrived on scene for examination. The rudder and a portion of the vertical stabilizer of the aircraft was found directly under a powerline and the lowest line, which was approximately 35’ above the ground. The powerline was heavily damaged, but still connected. The corn in was approximately 10’ tall leaving approximately 25’ to maneuver between the tops of the corn and the lowest powerline. The rudder had damage consistent with being caught in the powerline and being ripped off of the aircraft. The first point of impact in the cornfield was approximately 365’ north of the powerline and the final resting place of the aircraft was approximately 555’ north of the powerline. The propeller separated from the aircraft and one blade broke off in multiple pieces. The left wing was substantially damaged from the wingtip inboard about 1/4 of the wingspan. The leading edge of approximately 2/3 of the right wing was folded downward. The left spray arm was also separated from the aircraft. The remainder of the aircraft was reasonably intact. Eight days after the accident, the PIC succumbed to his injuries while in the hospital.
An aircraft examination performed on September 19, 2023 with NTSB, pratt & whitney, FAA and Air tractor. No mechanical irregularities were found that would prevent the aircraft from being operated. The flight controls were functional and the engine was producing power. The PIC logbooks were incomplete and flight times are estimated.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 25, 2023, AT APPROXIMATELY 0830 CENTRAL TIME, AN AIR TRACTOR AT-402 DEPARTED A PRIVATE AIRPORT AFTER BEING RELOADED TO PERFORM AERIAL APPLICATION OPERATIONS TO CORN FIELDS IN THE AREA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS GONE FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR, WHICH WAS LONGER THAN THE OPERATOR ANTICIPATED THE AIRCRAFT TO BE GONE. THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^OF THE 137 COMPANY TOOK OFF IN A SECOND AIRCRAFT TO BEGIN SEARCHING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND IN A CORNFIELD. THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^REPORTED THE ACCIDENT TO 911 AND HIS EMPLOYEES. THE 137 ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS FIRST ON SCENE. THE PIC OF THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT HAD ATTEMPTED TO EVACUATE THE AIRCRAFT BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL UNDER HIS OWN POWER. THE PIC WAS AIRLIFTED TO A NEARBY HOSPITAL WITH A BROKEN LEG, BROKEN RIBS, NECK INJURY AND DIFFICULTY BREATHING. ONE DAY AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE FAA ARRIVED ON SCENE FOR EXAMINATION. THE RUDDER AND A PORTION OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND DIRECTLY UNDER A POWERLINE AND THE LOWEST LINE, WHICH WAS APPROXIMATELY 35’ ABOVE THE GROUND. THE POWERLINE WAS HEAVILY DAMAGED, BUT STILL CONNECTED. THE CORN IN WAS APPROXIMATELY 10’ TALL LEAVING APPROXIMATELY 25’ TO MANEUVER BETWEEN THE TOPS OF THE CORN AND THE LOWEST POWERLINE. THE RUDDER HAD DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH BEING CAUGHT IN THE POWERLINE AND BEING RIPPED OFF OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE FIRST POINT OF IMPACT IN THE CORNFIELD WAS APPROXIMATELY 365’ NORTH OF THE POWERLINE AND THE FINAL RESTING PLACE OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY 555’ NORTH OF THE POWERLINE. THE PROPELLER SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND ONE BLADE BROKE OFF IN MULTIPLE PIECES. THE LEFT WING WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED FROM THE WINGTIP INBOARD ABOUT 1/4 OF THE WINGSPAN. THE LEADING EDGE OF APPROXIMATELY 2/3 OF THE RIGHT WING WAS FOLDED DOWNWARD. THE LEFT SPRAY ARM WAS ALSO SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE REMAINDER OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS REASONABLY INTACT. EIGHT DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE PIC SUCCUMBED TO HIS INJURIES WHILE IN THE HOSPITAL.
AN AIRCRAFT EXAMINATION PERFORMED ON SEPTEMBER 19, 2023 WITH NTSB, PRATT & WHITNEY, FAA AND AIR TRACTOR. NO MECHANICAL IRREGULARITIES WERE FOUND THAT WOULD PREVENT THE AIRCRAFT FROM BEING OPERATED. THE FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE FUNCTIONAL AND THE ENGINE WAS PRODUCING POWER. THE PIC LOGBOOKS WERE INCOMPLETE AND FLIGHT TIMES ARE ESTIMATED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.