20230729008049A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Air Tractor AT-402B · Alta, IA · July 29, 2023

Date: July 29, 2023 · 08:30 local
Place: Alta, IA
Phase of flight: Other, Specify
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: PFUG
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N402PR
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN23LA336
Reported as: Air Tractor AT-402B
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-15AG
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 6,600 total3,000 in this make and model60 in the last 90 days

N402PRRegistered now · Air Tractor AT-402BS/N 402B-1282 · Built 2013 Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-402B Engine modelPratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-15AGTurbo-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.

An Air tractor AT-402, clipped some power lines, during aerial application, and came down in a bean field near Alta, IA. POB: 1, no injuries. The aircraft was approximately 75-100 feet AGL to maintain clearance for a power line that ran north and south along the road to the west of the field being treated. Just prior to reaching the road and wires the aircraft encountered a down draft or dust devil and was thrown downwards nearly to the ground. The airmen somehow recovered before hitting the ground but went through the wires severing the bottom two strands. The airplane continued to fly but was not controllable so the airmen chopped the power and elected to land as the airplane was wanting to turn to the left and the airmen couldn’t stop it. The airplane came to rest upright approximately 1/2 mile east and 1/4 mile north of the impact site with the wires. After the accident it was discovered that the rudder was severed at impact with the wires.

As the FAA filed it

AN AIR TRACTOR AT-402, CLIPPED SOME POWER LINES, DURING AERIAL APPLICATION, AND CAME DOWN IN A BEAN FIELD NEAR ALTA, IA. POB: 1, NO INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY 75-100 FEET AGL TO MAINTAIN CLEARANCE FOR A POWER LINE THAT RAN NORTH AND SOUTH ALONG THE ROAD TO THE WEST OF THE FIELD BEING TREATED. JUST PRIOR TO REACHING THE ROAD AND WIRES THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED A DOWN DRAFT OR DUST DEVIL AND WAS THROWN DOWNWARDS NEARLY TO THE GROUND. THE AIRMEN SOMEHOW RECOVERED BEFORE HITTING THE GROUND BUT WENT THROUGH THE WIRES SEVERING THE BOTTOM TWO STRANDS. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO FLY BUT WAS NOT CONTROLLABLE SO THE AIRMEN CHOPPED THE POWER AND ELECTED TO LAND AS THE AIRPLANE WAS WANTING TO TURN TO THE LEFT AND THE AIRMEN COULDN’T STOP IT. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST UPRIGHT APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE EAST AND 1/4 MILE NORTH OF THE IMPACT SITE WITH THE WIRES. AFTER THE ACCIDENT IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE RUDDER WAS SEVERED AT IMPACT WITH THE WIRES.

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 CEN23LA336Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportAlta, IAThe airplane’s encounter with a dust devil, which resulted in a loss of lift, and subsequent collision with powerlines.Jul 29, 2023 · Substantial damage