- Date
- June 2, 2025, 10:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Hamlet, NE · Accident site location was where the airplane struck the powerline. The airplane impacted the powerline (40.385247, -101.194831) about 1.82 nm east of Hamlet, Nebraska. The airplane then subsequently landed and came to rest (40.392839, -101.195678) about 0.46 nm north of the wire impact
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N60057Air Tractor AT-401
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 9, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration - Lincoln FSDO
- FAA report
- 20250602004849A
- Case key
- 200249
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 power lines during low altitude maneuvering.
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 was flying the agricultural airplane at a low altitude during an aerial application flight when the airplane’s vertical stabilizer and rudder struck power lines. The airplane’s vertical stabilizer, rudder, and elevator were substantially damaged during the collision with the power lines. The pilot made an immediate landing in a nearby field due to the damaged flight controls and the airplane ground looped during the landing rollout. The pilot reported that before the airplane collided with the power lines there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N60057
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-401
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 401-0951
- Built
- 1994
- Airframe hours
- 2,127.9
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-11AG, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Sunflower Aero Inc
- Registered owner
- Sunflower Aero Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 1, 2025 · 42 hours before
- Departed
- ADT · Atwood, KS
- Destination
- ADT · Atwood, KS
- Airport
- N/A
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Satellite tracking device, Angle of attack indicator, 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
- 21
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 20, 2024
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,054.7 total · 18 in this make and model · 1,054.7 as pilot in command · 90 in the last 90 days · 45 in the last 30 days · 1.8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.82 inHg
- Observed at
- KIML, 21 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KIML 021453Z AUTO 19006KT 10SM CLR 24/17 A2982 RMK AO2 SLP065 T02390167 58002=
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 9, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.0 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.