NTSB CEN21LA318 — 2021-07-06 · Nappanee, Indiana, United States

Current FAA registration · N602RE

Make / Model: AIR TRACTOR INC AT-602
Year of manufacture: 2011 · 10 years old at event
Engine: P&W CANADA PT6A-65AG (1300 hp)
Seats / Engines: 2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 20110222
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A7D029

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N602RE AIR TRACTOR INC AT-602 None

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from the tower during low-level agricultural operations.

Factual narrative

The pilot stated that while spraying for mosquitos, the airplane’s right wing struck an unmarked tower. The pilot flew the airplane back to the departure airport, during which the right wing stalled when the airplane slowed for landing. The airplane then ground looped. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing skin during the in-flight collision with the tower. The pilot stated that there was no mechanical malfunction/failure of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

— Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Identification/recognition-Flight crew
— Personnel issues-Psychological-Attention/monitoring-Monitoring environment-Pilot
— Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Altitude-Not attained/maintained
— Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Tower/antenna (incl guy wires)-Awareness of condition

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2021_CEN21LA318.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

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Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (stall). All research papers