Air Tractor AT-402A N203DM

Summary

On 16 July 2007, a Air Tractor AT-402A registered N203DM was involved in an accident near Laurel, Iowa, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

16 July 2007

Classification

Accident

Location

Laurel, Iowa, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-402A

Registration

N203DM

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Marshalltown → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI07LA213

1 person died.

The pilot failed to maintain clearance with the upsloping terrain for undetermined reasons.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was last seen at the airport around 1230. He was scheduled to spray two bean fields and was to return to the same airport. When he had not returned by 1430 a ground and air search was initiated. The airplane was located by air about 3 hours later. There are no known witnesses to the accident. The airplane was found in an open grass area next to a dry riverbed located near one of the fields that was to be sprayed. The surrounding terrain sloped downward to the riverbed, then began to slope upward. The airplane impacted the terrain in a slight right-wing-low, nose-down attitude at a point where the terrain begins to slope upward. The airplane then cartwheeled prior to coming to rest. Examination of the wreckage failed to reveal any mechanical failure/malfunction which would have resulted in the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.