On June 28, 2002, an Air Tractor AT-301 (registration N73088) was involved in an aviation accident near Dyer, TN. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from obstacles (corn stalks) while landing on an unpaved surface for the purpose of loading chemicals. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A Cessna 172R landed on a roadway to load chemicals, but the right wing struck corn stalks, causing the aircraft to veer into a field. The pilot was not injured.
What happened
The pilot reported that he was maneuvering the aircraft to a specific location to facilitate the loading of chemical materials. Upon touching down on the roadway, the right wing of the airplane made contact with corn stalks growing along the side of the road. This impact caused the aircraft to veer sharply approximately 90 degrees from its original path. The airplane eventually came to rest in an upright position inside a field, located roughly 50 feet from where it initially left the roadway.
The investigation
The accident was reported by the Federal Aviation Administration to the National Transportation Safety Board on July 30, 2002. No further mechanical examination details were provided in the source text regarding the specific extent of damage beyond the initial contact.
Findings
The primary factor leading to the incident was the right wing contacting vegetation during a non-standard landing operation. The pilot's decision to land on a road for logistical purposes resulted in the aircraft leaving the paved surface and entering adjacent agricultural terrain.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from obstacles (corn stalks) while landing on an unpaved surface for the purpose of loading chemicals.