| Crash location | 36.374167°N, 121.414167°W |
| Nearest city | Soledad, CA
36.424687°N, 121.326319°W 6.0 miles away |
| Tail number | N6024M |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 06 Dec 2007 |
| Aircraft type | Air Tractor AT-401 |
| Additional details: | None |
According to the pilot, he departed from King City, California, airport about 1000 for a seeding flight mission west of the Soledad, California. After performing a reconnaissance flight over the area, he made his first application pass heading towards the west. During this time he was also visually checking the seeding pattern and making adjustments to the GPS application equipment located inside the airplane. After completion of the first pass, he initiated a turn and noted that his airspeed had slowed during the first pass. He was not able to complete the turn, and "rolled" back to wings level flight. He added full power and checked the engine gauges. The pilot stated that he believed he would be able to regain sufficient airspeed to complete his turn and continued straight ahead. He stated that his direction of flight was towards a canyon with "rapidly rising terrain."
The pilot stated that as soon as he maneuvered back to wings level flight, he was rapidly approaching the rising terrain, and he was not going to be able to "climb or out maneuver" the terrain. He immediately released the emergency dump handle to jettison the remaining seed from the hopper. While jettisoning the seed, he also chose the best possible location for an emergency landing. The pilot's next memory was of fire and smoke; he was able to extricate himself from the wreckage.
In the pilot's written submission to the Safety Board (NTSB Form 6120.1; Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report), in the section titled RECOMMENDATION (How could this accident/incident have been prevented), the pilot stated that he had preoccupied himself with other, "less important flight duties at a critical time when all focus should have been outside the cockpit verifying that my chosen flight path could be maintained." The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
According to a responding Battalion Chief from the California Department of Forestry, the airplane flew into a box canyon and was not able to turn around. The airplane struck several trees and impacted in a ravine near an old Jeep road, and was destroyed in the post impact fire.
The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate clearance from mountainous terrain while maneuvering during an aerial application mission. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's diverted attention inside the cockpit.