On July 12, 1999, an Air Tractor AT-502 (registration N90807) was involved in an aviation accident near Shelley, ID. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude during the pull-up, resulting in collision with trees. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A crop-dusting aircraft failed to clear a tree line during a pull-up maneuver, resulting in an impact with vegetation and subsequent ground collision.
What happened
Witnesses observed the aircraft executing a second pass over a potato field, traveling from east to west. During the pull-up phase of this operation, the aircraft failed to clear a bank of deciduous trees. Broken tree limbs and a portion of the aircraft's spray boom were located immediately west of the tree line. The aircraft subsequently impacted the ground approximately 0.15 miles further west of that same tree line.
The investigation
Examination of the site revealed debris consistent with the impact, including broken branches from the deciduous trees and a section of the spray boom. These findings were situated immediately west of the tree line, indicating the point of initial contact with vegetation before the final ground impact occurred further west.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude during the pull-up, resulting in collision with trees.