History of Flight
On July 26, 2022, at about 1701 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-802A (N749LA) and an Air Tractor AT-802 (N214RL) collided in mid-air near Portland, Arkansas. The AT-802A was destroyed and the AT-802 was substantially damaged. The pilot of the AT-802A sustained fatal injuries, and the pilot of the AT-802 sustained serious injuries. Both aircraft were operating under 14 CFR Part 137 as aerial application flights.
A witness familiar with the pilots and airplanes reported that the AT-802 was transiting at low altitude in a southeasterly direction over mature soybean and cotton fields. Concurrently, the AT-802A pilot was applying chemical to a soybean field in a southerly direction. The AT-802A pilot pitched up at the end of an application run and collided with the AT-802 as it flew overhead. After collision, the AT-802A continued northeast for about a quarter mile and crashed in a soybean field. The AT-802 entered a vertical spin and impacted a cotton field beneath the collision point.
First responders extricated the pilot of the AT-802 and extinguished a post-accident engine compartment fire. The pilot was airlifted to a hospital for treatment. The pilot of the AT-802 later stated that he had finished spraying soybeans on a friend's farm and was ferrying back to his home airstrip on a southeasterly heading with an empty hopper. He heard and felt an impact, saw red striping from the other airplane, and his aircraft spun three to four times before hitting the ground straight down. He believed the forward windscreen blew out during the collision and did not recall hearing the engine running afterward. He estimated his altitude at 500–600 ft agl at the time. He was not using his radio and was unaware the other pilot was working nearby. He noted that the larger turbine-powered airplanes typically top out at 600–700 ft in reverse-direction turns.
Data from the SATLOC G4 system on the AT-802A and the AgPilotX GPS on the AT-802 were downloaded. The AT-802A departed Lake Village Municipal Airport about 1655 and made a left climbing turn to a southwesterly heading. At 1700:35, at 289 ft GPS altitude, it turned left to a southerly heading and descended below 100 ft, presumably to apply chemical. Meanwhile, the AT-802 was west of the AT-802A on a southeasterly heading, varying between 407 and 465 ft. About 45 seconds before collision, the AT-802 would have been at the AT-802A pilot's approximate 1 o'clock, while the AT-802A would have been at the AT-802 pilot's approximate 10 o'clock. At 1701:07, the AT-802 indicated 477 ft altitude and 139 knots ground speed; the AT-802A indicated 341 ft and 110 knots. The AT-802A was in a climbing left turn at impact, while the AT-802 was relatively straight and level.
Aircraft Information
The AT-802's low-wing design restricted downward and forward visibility at the pilot's 9:00 to 9:30 and 2:30 to 3:00 positions. Upward visibility for the AT-802A was restricted by cockpit window and door frames and the cockpit roof.
Meteorological Information
At 1700, sun position data for Portland, Arkansas showed an azimuth of 269.51° and an altitude of 34.67° above the horizon. The sky was clear.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Both airplanes crashed into actively growing crops. The AT-802 came to rest upright in a cotton field, consistent with a near-vertical descent. The AT-802A wreckage was highly fragmented and came to rest in a soybean field about 0.25 nautical mile northeast of the AT-802.
Examination of the AT-802 revealed impact signatures on the leading edge of the left wing and forward windscreen, with red paint transfer marks from the AT-802A. A large section of the left wing's outboard leading edge was missing. The engine showed no pre-existing failure, but post-accident fire damaged the forward area. The propeller was separated, exhibiting bending and scratching.
The AT-802A wreckage was spread over 300 ft by 75 ft with no fire. Due to fragmentation and similar yellow paint schemes (AT-802A had red/black stripes, AT-802 had blue/black), no transfer marks from the AT-802 were found. The fuselage separated from the wing box, and both wings remained attached. The engine and mount separated, with a fractured forward case. No pre-existing malfunctions were found.
Additional Information
On August 8, 2022, the Professional Aerial Applicator's Support System (PAASS) published a safety bulletin on avoiding mid-air collisions, reminding pilots of the slogan "Ferry above five (hundred) and stay alive" and noting that ferrying above 500 ft agl greatly increases collision avoidance chances.
Data from the SATLOC G4 showed the AT-802A applied chemical to three fields before the accident, routinely exceeding 500 ft GPS altitude during reverse-direction turns, with maximum altitudes between 600 and 700 ft agl. Data from the AgPilotX showed the AT-802 applied chemical to one field before the accident, with similar turn altitudes consistently between 700 and 850 ft agl.
A toxicology report (autopsy) for the AT-802A pilot indicated the cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries, manner accidental.