Air Tractor INC AT-402B accident near Clara City, Minnesota, July 25, 2023
On July 25, 2023 at about 12:11 pm local time, a 2008 Air Tractor INC AT-402B, registered N291DL, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Clara City, Minnesota. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a transmission line during an aerial application flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 25, 2023 · about 12:11 pm local time
- Place
- Clara City, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor INC AT-402B, built 2008 · all AT-402Bs on the register
- Registration
- N291DL · registry record · serial 402B-1199
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Airplane position data revealed that the pilot was performing agricultural application passes to a corn field at the time of the accident. During an approach to the northwest, in a pattern consistent with a clean-up pass, the empennage impacted the lowest transmission line on a set of power lines along the perimeter of the field. The collision separated the rudder and upper portion of the vertical stabilizer from the empennage, and the airplane subsequently impacted the corn field about 350 ft from the power lines. Postrecovery airframe and engine examinations did not reveal any anomalies consistent with a preimpact failure or malfunction, or of the engine to produce rated power. It is likely that the pilot was flying under the transmission lines at the end of the clean-up pass and did not maintain clearance which resulted in an impact between the empennage and the transmission line.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Effect on equipment
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 975 hours in all; 110 in this make and model; 145 in the last 90 days; 104 in the last 30 days; 445 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 25, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,033.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 13, 2022; 104.9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,170 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34AG (turboprop); 5,873 hours total
- Operator: Northstar Aero Spray INC
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Clara City MN at 11:19 am
- Destination: PVT Clara City MN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 8:35 am from KMVE, 13 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KMVE 251335Z AUTO 18004KT 7SM CLR 23/19 A2998
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 CEN23LA324.