On July 15, 2005, an Air Tractor AT-301 (registration N3159N) was involved in an aviation accident near Langdon, ND. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the terrain while attempting an abrupt turning maneuver at a low altitude. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During an aerial application flight over a canola field, an agricultural airplane impacted terrain after a low-altitude maneuver. Witnesses reported the aircraft pitching up violently before descending straight down.
Accident Overview
An agricultural airplane was conducting an aerial application flight over a canola field, spraying fungicide. During the operation, the airplane impacted terrain while maneuvering at a low altitude. The wreckage was located in a level, open field, and the engine was found embedded to a depth of approximately four feet.
Witness Observations
The land owner reported that after completing a spray run, the airplane continued approximately half a mile beyond the end of the field before pitching upward. An agricultural pilot operating near the accident site observed the airplane "take a straight line up and arch across the top violently and then it appeared to go straight down." The pilot stated that the airplane did not climb higher than 200 feet above ground level before abruptly pitching to the right and entering a nose-low attitude.
Wreckage Examination
Post-accident examination established flight control continuity between all flight control surfaces and the cockpit. No anomalies were found that could be determined to have existed prior to impact.