On 24 Feb 2013, an AIR TRACTOR INC AT-301 operated by Towe Boy's Agri Service was involved in an aviation accident near Greenbrier, AL. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot failed to maintain sufficient clearance from trees during the climb. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
An aerial application aircraft sustained substantial damage after striking a tree during a climb following a flight operation.
What happened
On February 24, 2013, an Air Tractor AT-301, registration N7310N, was completing an aerial application flight near Greenbrier, Alabama. While the pilot was climbing away from the field, the right wing of the aircraft struck a tree. The impact caused substantial damage to the aircraft.
Following the strike, the pilot successfully returned to the private airstrip where the aircraft was based and performed an uneventful landing. The weather during the event was reported as VMC with a visibility of 10 statute miles and winds from 020 degrees at 6 knots. There were no injuries resulting from the incident.
Probable cause
The pilot failed to maintain sufficient clearance from trees during the climb.