Air Tractor AT-502B N8523Z

Summary

On 20 June 2021 at about 17:37 local time, a Air Tractor AT-502B registered N8523Z, operated by Lutes Flying Service Inc, was involved in an accident near Edwardsburg, Michigan, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 June 2021 at 17:37

Classification

Accident

Location

Edwardsburg, Michigan, United States

Coordinates

41.7956, -86.0808

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-502B

Registration

N8523Z

Category

Airplane

Year built

2005

Engines

1

Operator

Lutes Flying Service Inc

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Elkhart → Elkhart

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN21LA283

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s failure to identify rising terrain and to maintain terrain clearance from trees during an aerial application pass that resulted in an in-flight collision with trees and terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that while conducting an aerial application pass over a field, the airplane stuck trees and subsequently impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, both wings, and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations. The pilot reported that the field had rising terrain toward its southern edge and as the airplane approached the southern edge, the airplane was unable to climb above the rising terrain. It is likely the pilot failed to identify the rising terrain in time to clear the trees.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.