Air Tractor AT-301 accident near Las Animas, Colorado, June 19, 1997
On June 19, 1997 at about 2:05 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-301, registered N7308E, was destroyed in an accident near Las Animas, Colorado. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
in-flight collision with terrain, while maneuvering, for undetermined reason(s).
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 19, 1997 · about 2:05 pm local time
- Place
- Las Animas, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-301
- Registration
- N7308E · no longer on the register · serial 301-0625
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
There were no witnesses to the accident. The pilot was reported to have been almost finished spraying a 33 acre corn field with a herbicide called 'Lightning.' The airplane was found burning in a field that was on an approach and adjacent to the field being sprayed. The sheriff reported that the wind was calm. The pilot had been treated for Reiter's Syndrome for the previous 3 years. Reportedly, the condition was under control with prescribed medication. Toxicology tests disclosed no evidence of alcohol, drugs, cyanide, or carbon monoxide. About a week after the accident, the farmer reported finding two areas of stunted and discolored corn at opposite ends of his field. The NTSB was not made aware of this finding until four months after the accident. Soil sample tests disclosed a trace amount of oil and grease.
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: 2,051 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 1,955 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 25, 1997
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-1340-S3H1G (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: LHX La Junta CO at 1:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from LHX, 6 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.