Air Tractor AT-400A accident near Luverne, Minnesota, August 16, 2008
On August 16, 2008 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-400A, registered N7307W, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Luverne, Minnesota. 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 failure of the compressor turbine blades which resulted in the loss of power. Factors associated with the accident were the low altitude and the trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 2008 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Luverne, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-400A
- Registration
- N7307W · no longer on the register · serial 400A-613
- 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 accident occurred during an aerial application flight. The pilot reported she had sprayed approximately 40 acres when the engine began making a "popping" sound with a higher pitched whistle. She reported she pulled back on the elevator control to gain as much altitude as possible and began looking for a place to land. She stated that while looking out the right side of the airplane, she noticed flames coming from the right side exhaust stack. The pilot determined she was not able to land on the country road, so she decided to try and fly between a couple of trees to land in an open field. She stated the airplane touched down prior to the trees and it spun to the right, impacting one of the trees with the left wing. Inspection of the engine revealed that all of the compressor turbine blades were damaged with most of them having broken off. Damage was also present to the outlet side of the compressor turbine guide vanes.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (turbine/turboprop) › Compressor section › Failure
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,656 hours in all; 219 in this make and model; 344 in the last 90 days; 181 in the last 30 days; 3,167 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-20 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LYV Luverne MN at 2:50 pm
- Destination: LYV
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.27 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 am from FSD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.