Air Tractor AT-301 accident near Veblen, South Dakota, June 24, 1999
On June 24, 1999 at about 12:30 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-301, registered N3159M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Veblen, South 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
was the pilot not maintaining clearance from terrain. A factor was the pilot not performing a load jettison.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 24, 1999 · about 12:30 pm local time
- Place
- Veblen, South Dakota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-301
- Registration
- N3159M · registry record · serial 301-0468
- 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 said on his fourth spray pass, he encountered air that did not seem '...to have much lift to it' and he was adding power to climb the accident airplane above trees. He said he had applied full power as he got closer to the trees and the airplane started settling downward once over the tree line. He stated the airplane settled and contacted the ground. The engine was torn off the fuselage, along with the landing gear and tail wheel. The pilot stated the fuselage came to rest on a southeasterly direction. The pilot stated 'dumping the load' was his recommendation on how this accident could have been prevented.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 7,345 hours in all; 2,450 in this make and model; 106 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 7,021 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,187 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 2, 1999; 106 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-1340 AN-1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BTN Britton SD at 12:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:56 pm from ABR, 106 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.