Air Tractor AT-402B N402PR

Summary

On 29 July 2023 at about 12:30 local time, a Air Tractor AT-402B registered N402PR, operated by Barts Flying Service Inc, was involved in an accident near Alta, Iowa, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 July 2023 at 12:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Alta, Iowa, United States

Coordinates

42.6750, -95.3042

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-402B

Registration

N402PR

Category

Airplane

Year built

2013

Engines

1

Operator

Barts Flying Service Inc

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN23LA336

Nobody was injured.

The airplane’s encounter with a dust devil, which resulted in a loss of lift, and subsequent collision with powerlines.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he was completing an aerial application flight over a cultivated field. During the fourth pass, the airplane encountered a dust devil (also called a whirlwind), lost lift and impacted powerlines. Upon impact with the powerlines the rudder separated from the airplane and the airplane began a left turn. Unable to arrest the turn, the pilot reduced power and made a forced landing to the field that he was spraying. Upon touch down the left main landing gear separated from the fuselage and the airplane slid to a stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing, vertical stabilizer and rudder. The operator reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation. A review of the Federal Aviation Administration Aviation (FAA) Weather Handbook (FAA-H-8083-28) and the FAA Aeronautical Information Manual found no detailed information listed about dust devils or the potential hazards of flying through dust devils.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.