Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from trees.
NTSB analysis
Near the conclusion of the aerial application flight, the pilot was climbing the airplane away from the field when the right wing struck a tree, resulting in substantial damage. He subsequently returned to the private strip where the airplane was based and landed uneventfully. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA13CA163 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Feb 24, 2013
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Greenbrier, Alabama
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Air Tractor Inc AT-301
- N-number
- N7310N
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 137 (agricultural)
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial application
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.