Air Tractor AT-301 accident near Center, Colorado, August 12, 1982
On August 12, 1982 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-301, registered N1KL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Center, Colorado (Leach 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 12, 1982 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Center, Colorado · Leach · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-301
- Registration
- N1KL · registry record · serial 0044
- 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 WAS ON THE FIRST SWATH RUN OF HIS SECOND LOAD. HE STATED THAT AS HE STARTED TO CROSS BELOW TRANSMISSION LINES, WHEN HE SAW A SMALL BOY AND A DOG APPEAR FROM A DITCH BELOW THE WIRES. HE STATED THAT WHEN HE PULLED UP TO AVOID THE CHILD, THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH A WIRE, WENT OUT OF CONTROL AND CRASHED.
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; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,300 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 280 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 4,950 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,425 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 502 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: 1V8 Center CO at 7:30 am
- Destination: 1V8 Center CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 142°F (61°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 am from ALS, 23 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DEN82DA161.