- Date
- March 28, 2025, 07:55 local (12:55 UTC)
- Place
- Cash, AR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N41687Air Tractor AT-802A
- 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 - Little Rock, AR FSDO
- FAA report
- 20250328002839A
- Case key
- 199933
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 an excavator during low-altitude aerial application operations.
Findings · 3
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 aerial application airplane arrived at the field to apply product, and the pilot visually observed an unoccupied excavator parked near the field. The pilot decided to perform a spray pass up to the excavator and then climb over it and continue the spray pass. When the pilot approached the excavator, he misjudged its height, and the left tire impacted the boom arm. After the airplane struck the boom arm, it impacted the ground and slid about 300 yards which resulted in substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The airplane came to rest upright, and the pilot was able to egress from the airplane without further incident. The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N41687
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-802A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 0309
- Built
- 2008
- Airframe hours
- 5,921
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A-65AG, 1,220 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Over The Top Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 23, 2024
- Departed
- 9AR9 · Cash, AR
- Equipment
- None
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
- 36
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 26, 2023
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 3,542 total · 1,307 in this make and model · 3,476 as pilot in command · 36 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- KARG, 20 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KARG 281256Z AUTO 12004KT 10SM CLR 15/13 A3010 RMK AO2 SLP192 T01500128=
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 29, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.2 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.