Air Tractor AT-301 accident near Fergus Falls, Minnesota, June 20, 2007
On June 20, 2007 at about 1:00 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-301, registered N23667, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fergus Falls, Minnesota (Fergus Falls Muni-Einar Mickel airport). It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The propeller blade failure during climb due to a fatigue crack. The oil leak that obstructed the pilot's vision was a factor in the accident.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 20, 2007 · about 1:00 pm local time
- Place
- Fergus Falls, Minnesota · Fergus Falls Muni-Einar Mickel · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-301
- Registration
- N23667 · no longer on the register · serial 301-0410
- 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 agricultural spray airplane sustained substantial damage during a forced landing following a severe engine vibration during cruise flight. The pilot reported that he was in cruise flight about 500 feet above ground level (agl) when the engine and airframe started to vibrate violently, and the windshield became covered with oil. He made a forced landing to a field, but the main landing gear broke off and the airplane flipped over. Inspection of the airplane revealed that one of the propeller blades was missing about 9 inches of the propeller blade tip. The propeller blade was cut and the piece with the fracture surface was sent to the National Transportation Safety Board's Materials Laboratory for examination. The inspection of the fracture surface revealed that the propeller bladed failed as a result of a fatigue crack, with features typical of impact of a rotating propeller blade with a foreign object. Aircraft maintenance records indicated that the propeller blade was repaired and overhauled on October 21, 2003. The overhaul documents indicated that the no discrepancies were found when the propeller blades and hub underwent visual and non-destructive testing. The aircraft operator reported that he had purchased the propeller blade from another operator as a "0" time blade since major overhaul. Since installing the propeller on the accident airplane, it had been flown for about 30 hours. The operator reported that the accident airplane did not have a propeller strike during the 30 hours of operation prior to the accident flight.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,501 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days; 65 in the last 30 days; 3,393 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,981 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2007
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-1340 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FFM Fergus Falls MN at 12:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 12:56 pm from KFFM, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.