- Date
- July 27, 2016, 07:30 local (12:30 UTC)
- Place
- Bird Island, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N7311XAir Tractor AT 301
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 5, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160727011639A
- Case key
- 93706
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 diverted attention inside the cockpit and failure to maintain the airplane's altitude while maneuvering at a low altitude, resulting in an impact with terrain.
Findings · 5
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
According to the pilot, during a low altitude agricultural aerial application flight he observed a glitch in the satellite navigation system. He reported that he attempted to identify the glitch and his attention was focused inside the cockpit. The pilot recalled that while focused inside the cockpit, he heard and felt the corn stalks that he was spraying, strike the airplane. He reported that he then looked outside the cockpit and "observed a slight rise in terrain", he increased throttle and pulled back on the stick. However, the airplane descended into the cornfield, yawed to the right, impacted the ground and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, fuselage, and the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with airplane that would have prevented normal flight operations.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, during a low altitude agricultural aerial application flight he observed a glitch in the satellite navigation system. He reported that he attempted to identify the glitch and his attention was focused inside the cockpit. The pilot recalled that while focused inside the cockpit, he heard and felt the corn stalks that he was spraying, strike the airplane. He reported that he then looked outside the cockpit and "observed a slight rise in terrain", he increased throttle and pulled back on the stick. However, the airplane descended into the cornfield, yawed to the right, impacted the ground and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, fuselage, and the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with airplane that would have prevented normal flight operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7311X
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT 301 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 301-0659
- Built
- 1986
- Airframe hours
- 6,447
- Engine
- P&W R1340, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Willmar Aerial Spraying INC
- Registered owner
- Willmar Aerial Spraying INC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 3, 2016
- Departed
- OVL · Olivia, MN
- Destination
- OVL · Olivia, MN
- Equipment
- 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
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 5, 2016
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 444.5 total · 84.4 in this make and model · 398.3 as pilot in command · 87.4 in the last 90 days · 65 in the last 30 days · 17.1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- KOVL
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 1, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.5 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.