Air Tractor INC AT-301 accident near Edgeley, North Dakota, August 13, 2011
On August 13, 2011 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Air Tractor INC AT-301, registered N73071, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Edgeley, North Dakota (Edgeley Municipal airport). It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the airplane and engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 13, 2011 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Edgeley, North Dakota · Edgeley Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor INC AT-301 · all AT-301s on the register
- Registration
- N73071 · no longer on the register · serial 301-0617
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that shortly after leveling off and making a power reduction for cruise flight, he noticed that a descent had developed. The pilot added one notch of flaps and dumped the chemical load using the emergency dump handle but the descent continued. He landed the airplane in a bean field. A postaccident examination of the airplane and engine did not reveal any anomalies, nor were any anomalies noted in the airplane’s recent annual inspection. The temperature and dew point recorded at a nearby airport were in a range susceptible to the formation of carburetor ice at glide and cruise power settings. Carburetor icing usually results in engine roughness and a drop in manifold pressure. Since the pilot made no mention of engine roughness, a decrease in manifold pressure, and was able to increase manifold pressure during his attempts to arrest the descent, it is unlikely that the power loss was due to carburetor icing. The reason for the power loss could not be determined.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 935 hours in all
- Last flight review: August 11, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 6, 2011
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R1340 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Semper Fi Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: 51D Edgeley ND at 5:25 pm
- Destination: 51D Edgeley ND
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 3,600 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 6:35 pm from 2D5, 29 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.