# Accident 20250715007939A: Air Tractor Inc AT-402B, Wyoming, IL, July 15, 2025

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 15, 2025, 07:30 local time
- Place: Wyoming, IL
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Departure Roll
- Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
- Operator: 9MWG
- Location: 41.0144° N, 89.7161° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.0144&lon=-89.7161&mi=10
- Aircraft: N647RA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N647RA-2026-09-04) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Air Tractor AT-402B (registry code 0390208, https://openairdocs.org/model/air-tractor-at-402b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34AG (registry code 52251, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-canada-pt6a-34ag) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AIR TRACTOR INC AT-402B
- Reported engine: P&W CANADA PT6A-34AG
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 6,418 total, 75 in this make and model, 140 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN25LA267](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA267) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250715007939A

## Narrative

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

THE PILOT STATED THAT HE LEFT ALEDO, IL AT APPROXIMATELY 0600 ON TUESDAY JULY 15, 2025 WITH THE FUEL TANK ¾ FULL AND THE AIRCRAFT HOLDS 234 USABLE GALLONS OF FUEL.  HE ARRIVED AT THE STRIP SOUTHEAST OF WYOMING IL 15-25 MINUTES LATER.  ONCE IN WYOMING, HE ADDED CHEMICAL TO THE HOPPER AND SPRAYED THE FIRST LOAD OF THE DAY TAKING APPROXIMATELY 30-40 MINUTES.  HE RETURNED TO WYOMING AND FILLED THE HOPPER WITH APPROXIMATELY 280-300 GALLONS OF PRODUCT.  HE HIT THE FLAP ROCKER SWITCH TO ADD SOME FLAPS FOR TAKEOFF AND AS HE BEGAN HIS TAKEOFF ROLL TO THE EAST WITH THE SUN IN HIS EYES, HE GOT THE MAIN GEAR TO THE LEFT OF THE TRACKS HE HAD MADE ON THE PREVIOUS TAKE OFF.  THE GRASS WAS MUCH TALLER OUTSIDE OF THE PREVIOUSLY MADE TRACKS AND HE BELIEVES THIS SLOWED HIS TAKEOFF ROLL.  WHEN HE REACHED THE END OF THE GRASS STRIP, AS HE PULLED BACK ON THE STICK, THIS LOWERED THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT CAUSING THE TAIL STRUTS AND SPRAY BOOMS TO CUT INTO THE BEANS.  THIS FURTHER SLOWED THE PLANE CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO SETTLE BACK INTO THE BEANS WHICH WERE WET WITH MORNING DEW.  ONCE THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO SETTLE, THE SPRAY BARS ON THE WINGS BECAME TANGLED IN THE BEANS SLOWING HIM EVEN FURTHER.  WHEN THE LEFT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED, THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST UPRIGHT OFF THE EAST END OF THE STRIP.  HE OPENED THE DOOR TO SURVEY THE DAMAGE AND REALIZED THE FLAPS WERE RETRACTED.  HE THEN RAN THE FLAPS PARTIALLY DOWN AND THEN BACK UP.  HE STATED THAT HE HAS PREVIOUSLY NOTICED AN INTERMITTENT FLAP ISSUE IN WHICH THE FLAPS WOULD EXTEND FULLY WHEN THE ROCKER SWITCH WAS ACTUATED BRIEFLY IN HIS TURNS, BUT IT WAS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM.  HE DID NOT DEPLOY THE DUMP VALVE TO EMPTY THE HOPPER DURING THE TAKEOFF.  THE PILLOT STATED THAT HE SUFFERED A CUT TO HIS LEFT ARM AND THAT HE WAS GLAD HE WAS WEARING A HELMET SINCE HE HIT THE LEFT SIDE OF THE COCKPIT DURING THE ACCIDENT.

## 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 CEN25LA267](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA267), Jul 15, 2025: Air Tractor AT-402B (N647RA), Wyoming, IL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to attain a positive climb rate due to airplane’s improper takeoff configuration.

## Other reports on N647RA (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 20181017020219I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20181017020219I), Oct 17, 2018: Air Tractor Inc AT-402B (N647RA), Brawley, CA, Minor damage. While traveling south to north the pilot could see the telephone pole but with the setting sun lost sight of the telephone line. Thinking he was high enough…

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.