Air Tractor INC AT-402B accident near Moorhead, Mississippi, March 5, 2021
On March 5, 2021 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Air Tractor INC AT-402B, registered N41068, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Moorhead, Mississippi. 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 pilot did not maintain clearance from a powerline during an aerial application flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 5, 2021 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Moorhead, Mississippi · 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-402B · all AT-402Bs on the register
- Registration
- N41068 · registry record · serial 402B-1174
- 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, during an agricultural application flight, he started his spray pass from the north and traveled south and added that the sun was bright. During the pass, he avoided numerous obstacles, before he passed over a patch of woods. There was an east-west running powerline located about 100 yards out in the field that the pilot did not see until it was too late to avoid it. The airplane impacted the top of the wires and a pole and a part of a pole embedded itself into the left wing. The pilot was able to land the airplane without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with 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
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Pole › Not specified
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 14,639 hours in all; 4,260 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 15,589 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 6, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,230 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2020
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P & W PT6 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Inverness Air, INC
The flight
- Departed from: Inverness MS
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 60°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 19, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.