What happened
On June 21, 2024, at approximately 10:45 mountain daylight time, an Air Tractor Inc AT-802A, registration N331BS, crashed near Capitan, New Mexico. The aircraft was operating as a Part 91 positioning flight, serving as the second aircraft in a three-plane formation. The flight had completed firefighting operations in Texas and was en route to Oregon, with a planned refueling stop at Gallup Municipal Airport (GUP).
While flying toward Gallup, the formation encountered weather conditions near the Capitan mountains. The lead and third aircraft in the formation climbed and turned east to avoid the weather. The pilot of the third aircraft observed the N331BS descend to a lower altitude after the pilot of the accident aircraft reported finding a "VFR corridor."
After the lead and third aircraft landed at GUP, they realized the second aircraft had not arrived and was missing. Following an FAA Alert Notice, the wreckage was located later that afternoon approximately 9 miles east northeast of Capitan. The aircraft impacted several trees in heavily forested terrain at an elevation of roughly 7,160 feet MSL and came to rest on its right side. The impact resulted in 1 fatality.