Air Tractor INC AT-502 accident near Hanley Falls, Minnesota, August 14, 2012
On August 14, 2012 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Air Tractor INC AT-502, registered N1021D, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Hanley Falls, Minnesota (Private airport). It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a guy wire during an agricultural application pass.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 14, 2012 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Hanley Falls, Minnesota · Private · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor INC AT-502 · all AT-502s on the register
- Registration
- N1021D · no longer on the register · serial 502-0064
- 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 was conducting an agricultural application pass at the time of the accident. He was flying near a set of power line support poles on the edge of the field in order to establish a global positioning system reference line for subsequent application passes. He was looking to the left to maintain clearance with the support poles when he observed guy wires in his flight path. He immediately pulled up and rolled to the right; however, the left wing struck a guy wire. The airplane impacted the ground inverted, sustaining substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, and both wings. The pilot stated that there were no failures or malfunctions associated with the airplane before the accident. He noted that making the guy wires more visible and greater awareness on his part might have prevented the accident.
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
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tower/antenna (incl guy wires) › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 13,880 hours in all; 7,497 in this make and model; 350 in the last 90 days; 181 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: September 3, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,575 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 2, 2012; 95 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W Canada PT6A-34AG (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Northstar Aerospray INC
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Clara City MN at 7:50 pm
- Destination: PVT Clara City MN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 8:52 pm from GDB, 8 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.