Air Tractor AT802 accident near Newell, Iowa, July 11, 2021
On July 11, 2021 at about 12:45 pm local time, a 2021 Air Tractor AT802, registered N949TM, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Newell, Iowa. 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’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from crops during an agricultural flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 11, 2021 · about 12:45 pm local time
- Place
- Newell, Iowa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT802 A, built 2021
- Registration
- N949TM · no longer on the register · serial 802A-0888
- 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 was in the process of spraying a corn field and climbed to avoid trees that were in his path. When he descended back toward the field, the airplane settled more than expected and the landing gear and bottom of the airplane hit the corn. The pilot was unable to climb the airplane out of the corn and the left wing hit the ground. The airplane rotated about 180°, bounced, then impacted the ground on the right wing and engine, before it came to rest upright. The pilot was not injured and he stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mounts, both wings, and empennage.
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
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,864.6 hours in all; 348 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: March 22, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 40.3 hours
- Maximum gross weight: 16,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67AG (turboprop); 40 hours total
- Operator: Midwest Custom Ag Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: POH Pocahontas IA at 12:25 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 am from KSLB, 12 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KSLB 111255Z AUTO 01010KT 10SM CLR 17/17 A3006 RMK AO2
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 August 31, 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, 13 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.