Air Tractor AT-402B accident near Ipswich, South Dakota, July 2, 2013
On July 2, 2013 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-402B, registered N2072D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ipswich, South Dakota (Tc Field). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to obtain adequate airspeed during the takeoff roll, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 2, 2013 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Ipswich, South Dakota · Tc Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-402B
- Registration
- N2072D · registry record · serial 402B-1268
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
At the beginning of an aerial application run, the pilot rotated the airplane near the end of the runway; the airplane lifted up from the ground, yawed, and then shuddered. The airplane descended, the left wing contacted the ground, and the airplane slid to a stop. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with an aerodynamic stall during takeoff because the pilot failed to obtain adequate speed to climb the airplane.
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
- 300241 during nose over
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land, none, none, none
- Flight time: 16,353 hours in all; 828 in this make and model; 206 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: November 1, 2012
- Medical certificate: class 2
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 9,170 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W Canada PT6A-34AG (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Tri County AG Service INC
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: 2SD9 Ipswich SD at 8:30 pm
- Destination: 2SD9 Ipswich SD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,500 ft by 28 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds
- Temperature: 84°C, dew point 46°C
- Altimeter: 30.129999 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from KABR, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN13LA391.