Air Tractor INC AT-400 accident near Steward, Illinois, July 19, 2013
On July 19, 2013 at about 1:07 pm local time, a Air Tractor INC AT-400, registered N155HF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Steward, Illinois (Dixon 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the guy wires during an aerial application maneuver. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to identify potential obstructions in the area before beginning low-altitude maneuvers.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 19, 2013 · about 1:07 pm local time
- Place
- Steward, Illinois · Dixon 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-400 · all AT-400s on the register
- Registration
- N155HF · no longer on the register · serial AT400-0488
- 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 he circled the field to check for obstacles before beginning to apply the agricultural product, but did not see any obstructions. He made the first aerial application pass without incident; however, during the second pass, the airplane hit guy wires "head on." The guy wires extended farther into the field than the pilot was accustomed to and can be difficult to see. The airplane impacted the cornfield, and the two adjacent towers were toppled by the impact with the guy wires. The pilot reported that there was no preaccident malfunction or system failure of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- 452220 during 452
- 452470 during 452
- 650470 during 650
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › (general) › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tower/antenna (incl guy wires) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land, none, none, none
- Flight time: 8,651 hours in all; 1,440 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 8,651 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 8, 2013
- Medical certificate: class 2
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,826 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, July 15, 2013
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT-6A-27 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: C73 Dixon IL at 12:40 pm
- Destination: C73 Dixon IL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°C, dew point 0°C
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N155HF the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 CEN13LA425.