Air Tractor INC AT 402A accident near Fort Pierre, South Dakota, September 4, 2015
On September 4, 2015 at about 1:55 pm local time, a 1991 Air Tractor INC AT 402A, registered N321DA, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Fort Pierre, 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
The pilot's failure to maintain obstacle clearance, which resulted in the airplane striking guy-wires during aerial application operations.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 4, 2015 · about 1:55 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Pierre, South Dakota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor INC AT 402A A, built 1991 · all AT 402As on the register
- Registration
- N321DA · registry record · serial 402A-0814
- 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 reported that after conducting a pass over a field during an aerial application flight, he passed clear of a tower but did not see the tower support guy-wires and collided with them. He stated, "After the guy-wire impact there was an immediate sound of the engine starting to lose power and/or shut down." The pilot then performed an emergency landing on a gravel road without further incident. A post flight inspection revealed substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine 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
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during maneuvering defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during maneuvering
- Off-field or emergency landing during maneuvering
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Fuselage › Fuselage main structure › Damaged/degraded
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tower/antenna (incl guy wires) › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,875 hours in all; 77 in this make and model; 319 in the last 90 days; 113 in the last 30 days; 1,833 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 10, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (waiver time limited special)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,401.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 10, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 7,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-15AG (turboprop); 7,716 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SD21 Hayes SD at 1:00 pm
- Destination: SD21 Hayes SD
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.69 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from KPIR, 13 miles away
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.