Air Tractor AT-301 accident near Eckelson, North Dakota, July 23, 1994
On July 23, 1994 at about 11:45 am local time, a Air Tractor AT-301, registered N7301Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Eckelson, North Dakota. 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 pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a transmission wire. A factor associated with the accident is the transmission wire.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 23, 1994 · about 11:45 am local time
- Place
- Eckelson, North Dakota
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-301
- Registration
- N7301Y · no longer on the register · serial 301-0590
- 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 HE WAS MAKING A FINAL AERIAL APPLICATION RUN OVER A FIFTY ACRE FIELD. AS HE CROSSED OVER A TRANSMISSION WIRE WHICH BORDERED THE FIELD, THE MAIN LANDING GEAR SNAGGED A WIRE, AND THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED UNCONTROLLABLY TO GROUND COLLISION.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,035 hours in all; 850 in this make and model; 110 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 1,950 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 103 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-1340-AN1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 8ND8 Jamestown ND
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:47 am from JMS, 16 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.
Other NTSB records under N7301Y the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.