Air Tractor INC AT-301 accident near Greenbrier, Alabama, February 24, 2013
On February 24, 2013 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Air Tractor INC AT-301, registered N7310N, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Greenbrier, Alabama. 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 pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 24, 2013 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Greenbrier, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor INC AT-301 · all AT-301s on the register
- Registration
- N7310N · no longer on the register · serial 301-0649
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Near the conclusion of the aerial application flight, the pilot was climbing the airplane away from the field when the right wing struck a tree, resulting in substantial damage. He subsequently returned to the private strip where the airplane was based and landed uneventfully. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 7,042 hours in all; 320 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 6,809 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 3, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,351 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 20, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt And Whitney R-1340 AN1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Greenbrier AL at 9:00 pm
- Destination: NONE Greenbrier AL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from HSV, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on May 7, 2013. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo 1 - Accident Airplane from Right (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 2 - Damage to Right Wing Tip (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N7310N 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.