Air Tractor AT-402B accident near Deerfield, Kansas, July 20, 2008
On July 20, 2008 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-402B, registered N61318, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Deerfield, Kansas. 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 inadvertently stalling the airplane. Contributing factors in this accident were the pilot intentionally performing low altitude maneuvers (side slips), unporting and starving the engine of fuel, and his initiating a climb at low airspeed.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 2008 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Deerfield, Kansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-402B
- Registration
- N61318 · registry record · serial 402B-0980
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had noticed a fuel imbalance of almost a quarter of a tank after the previous spray flight. The airplane was then serviced with 40 gallons of Jet A fuel through a single point refueling port. The pilot checked the fuel level again and noted the right tank had approximately 1-1/2 inch more fuel than the left tank, or roughly 1/2 capacity in the left tank and between 1/2 and 2/3 capacity in the right tank. He took off with 375 gallons of chemical mix to spray two corn circular fields. He used a left hand reverse racetrack pattern to spray the two circles. Halfway through the application, he checked the fuel gauges and noted both were reading between 1/4 and 1/2 tank. On his final swath of the field, the pilot climbed over a set of power lines. It was his intention to utilize the southerly wind to drift the spray under the power lines to the edge of the field. He performed a right side slip maneuver (right wing down, left rudder) to spray the west circle, leveled his wings, and repeated the maneuver to spray the east circle. He then initiated a 60-degree bank right climbing turn from a height of about 30 feet. The pilot said that during the climbing turn, "altitude and decrease in airspeed felt normal." He looked out the right side of the airplane to check the spray pattern. When he attempted to level the wings at an altitude between 100 and 150 feet, the right wing "continued to drop followed by the nose." He said the stall warning horn never sounded, and there was no aerodynamic buffet. He opened the throttle completely, but the engine did not respond. The airplane struck a pivotal sprinkler and impacted terrain. It was the pilot's opinion that the engine lost power "due to unporting of fuel from the tank to the engine [induced] by the slip maneuver."
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
- Fuel starvation during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Loss of engine power (total) during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › (general) › Not specified
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › (general) › Not specified
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Climb rate › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,867 hours in all; 193 in this make and model; 240 in the last 90 days; 122 in the last 30 days; 2,492 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 1, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,674 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2008; 46 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-34AG (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 36K Lakin KS at 1:00 pm
- Destination: 36K Lakin KS
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 10 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 1:30 pm from ULS
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.