ERA17FA279 · Air Tractor AT502 B

According to the operator, the airplane was supposed to spray a cornfield located about 5 miles southeast of the airstrip. The operator added that the clouds were low at the time of departure but that the forward visibility was good. Review of data from a GPS recovered from the wreckage revealed that for the approximate 2-minute accident flight, the airplane flew southeast at GPS altitudes between 250 to 350 ft. The last recorded data point was just before a tree line, indicating a GPS altitude of 315 ft and a groundspeed of 123 knots. The airplane subsequently struck the trees and an approximate 50-foot debris path at a descending angle was oriented about a magnetic course of 130°. The recorded weather at an airport located about 18 miles southeast of the accident site, about 30 minutes after the accident, included an overcast ceiling at 400 ft. There was no record of the pilot receiving a weather briefing from flight service. Examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions. It is likely that the pilot attempted to maintain visual flight and stay below the clouds, which left him little room to maneuver and resulted in impact with trees and terrain.

Review of medical information did not identify any significant medical conditions for the 28-year-old pilot. The toxicology identified that the pilot had used a sedating antihistamine, diphenhydramine, at some point before the accident but the blood level was too low to quantify; it is unlikely that effects from the pilot's use of this drug contributed to his decision to attempt flight in instrument conditions. While the autopsy report is unavailable, there is nothing to suggest it would identify further relevant conditions. Overall, the limited available medical evidence does not indicate a medical condition or use of medication contributed to this accident.

Verbatim NTSB analysis and probable cause from the NTSB dataset