Pilot Debrief

AIR TRACTOR INC AT 602 near Stirum, ND — 2017-06-29

Final reportCEN17LA244
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Date
2017-06-29
Location
Stirum, ND, USA
Airport
6L3
Aircraft
AIR TRACTOR INC AT 602
Registration
N4196Y
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
1
Phase of flight
Takeoff roll

Probable cause

The pilot's decision to attempt flight with low-level fog in the area, which resulted in an encounter with instrument meteorological conditions and impact with terrain.

NTSB narrative

An employee of the operator reported that the planned aerial application flight was delayed about 2 hours while the pilot waited for the weather conditions to improve. The pilot had spoken with individuals by phone before the flight in an attempt to assess the local conditions. The visibility at the airport was about 1-1/2 miles when the pilot departed. A witness reported that she was sitting on her patio when she heard the airplane. The sound of the engine was normal, "not anything unusual at all." She observed the airplane emerge from the fog and "within seconds" impact the ground. The airplane was level or descending slightly and did not appear to change its flight path before impacting gradually rising terrain. She noted that the airplane did not appear to be out of control, nor did it seem that anything was wrong mechanically. She recalled that it was "very, very foggy" at the time, with about 200 yards visibility. There was no precipitation and little or no wind at the time. A postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies consistent with a preimpact failure or malfunction. It is likely that the pilot encountered instrument meteorological conditions while operating at a low level and inadvertently impacted the terrain.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
VFR into IMC
First missed decision gate
Pilot did not obtain a preflight weather briefing despite IFR conditions.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 12 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents12

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