- Date
- July 14, 2023, 16:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Benson, MN · Cultivated field
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N22FKAir Tractor AT-802
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20230714008869A
- Case key
- 192646
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 adequately survey a field for obstructions prior to a low-level aerial application pass, which resulted in an impact with a powerline. Contributing to the accident was the degraded visibility due to the smoke in the area.
Findings · 2
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 reported that on the afternoon of the aerial application flight, the visibility was degrading due to smoke from nearby wildfires. Upon arrival at the target field, he circled twice to study the powerlines and obstacles, where he observed two distantly spaced power poles, and mistakenly thought they were termination points of a powerline. During the low-level aerial application pass, the airplane subsequently impacted a powerline as he flew between the power poles. The pilot returned to the airport and landed without incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right aileron. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N22FK
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-802
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 802-0965
- Built
- 2022
- Airframe hours
- 486.2
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney PT6-67AG, 1,350 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Fast Ag Air LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 28, 2023 · 88.8 hours before
- Departed
- KBBB · Benson, MN
- Destination
- KBBB · Benson, MN
- Airport
- KBBB · Benson Municipal Airport, runway 14/32, 4,000 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Stall warning system, ADS-B
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
- 38
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 2, 2022
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 7,000 total · 1,704.9 in this make and model · 6,726.5 as pilot in command · 200 in the last 90 days · 105.9 in the last 30 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 13 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.76 inHg
- Observed at
- KMVE, 11 nm away
- METAR
- KMVE 142135Z AUTO 32013G16KT 10SM CLR 29/15 A2976 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT SE
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 17, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.4 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.