- Date
- July 23, 2025, 08:30 local (13:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hartsburg, IL ·
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N2371VAir Tractor AT-301
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 14, 2025
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20250723010069A
- Case key
- 200616
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 control of the airplane during takeoff with a tailwind from a wet turf airstrip.
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 reported that shortly after takeoff for the aerial application flight, the airplane settled back toward the ground and struck the surrounding crop at the departure end of the grass strip. During the accident sequence, the airplane came to rest upright and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, and right wing. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations. The pilot was familiar with the field and assessed that the grass was taller, recent rain made the ground softer, and a tailwind was present. He considered these factors in his fuel and product calculations and took off with a slightly reduced load and a weight of 7,252 pounds at takeoff. However, he stated that the accident could have been prevented if the airplane’s weight was further reduced for the conditions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2371V
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-301
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 301-0420
- Built
- 1982
- Engine
- Honeywell TPE 331-1-151A, 665 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- T&M Aircraft LLC, doing business as Flying Illini Ag Service
- Registered owner
- T&M Aircraft LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 16, 2025 · 82 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- PVT · Pvt, runway 15/33, 2,600 × 75 ft
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 2, 2025
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,184 total · 265 in this make and model · 1,119 as pilot in command · 93 in the last 90 days · 84 in the last 30 days · 9.2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 81 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- KAAA, 6 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KAAA 231335Z AUTO 16006KT 10SM CLR 28/27 A3006 RMK AO2 T02750274=
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 14, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.3 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.