- Date
- July 6, 2021, 19:54 local (23:54 UTC)
- Place
- Nappanee, IN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N602REAir Tractor AT-602
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration; Grand Rapids FSDO
- FAA report
- 20210706009029A
- Case key
- 103479
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from the tower during low-level agricultural operations.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot stated that while spraying for mosquitos, the airplane’s right wing struck an unmarked tower. The pilot flew the airplane back to the departure airport, during which the right wing stalled when the airplane slowed for landing. The airplane then ground looped. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing skin during the in-flight collision with the tower. The pilot stated that there was no mechanical malfunction/failure of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N602RE
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-602
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 602-1200
- Built
- 2011
- Airframe hours
- 2,927
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Agriflight Services Inc.
- Registered owner
- Deby Ag Leasing Lp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 14, 2021
- Departed
- II74 · Wakarusa, IN
- Destination
- II74 · Wakarusa, IN
- Airport
- C03
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Stall warning system
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 11, 2021
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 11,428 total · 606 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 230° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.99 inHg
- Observed at
- SBN, 10 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 5, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.6 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.