An agricultural pilot who hit an embankment near Bourke in his Airtractor was likely distracted by a no-flow warning from his onboard system, according to an ATSB investigation report released last week.
Airtractor AT-502 VH-AQW was being flown on spraying operations near Bourke NSW in February 2024 when the left main gear struck an embankment near the field to be sprayed. The aircraft crashed into the field inverted. The pilot was fatally injured.
Investigators examining the GPS data from the onboard Satloc system found that the aircraft was traveling at between 10 and 22 feet above the ground when the pilot activated the spray. However, no flow occurred, causing the system to display a No Flow warning.
The aircraft continued on the run flying as low as four feet above the ground before the left main wheel hit the embankment at seven feet above ground level. The Airtractor was traveling at 115 kt GS at the time.
"This tragic accident is a reminder that unexpected alerts can divert a pilot’s attention from the primary task of flying the aircraft,” said ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell.
“Given the limited height and time available during low‑level operations, even a momentary change in focus of attention can have a significant consequence.
“When possible, pilots should climb the aircraft when receiving any unexpected alerts, before conducting troubleshooting of a potential system failure at a safer height.”
ATSB investigators weren't able to determine why the system recorded the no flow, or the spray system actually dispersed any of the herbicide the aircraft was carrying.
The report acknowledges the pilot’s level of experience, and the general expectation that pilots encountering abnormal situations at low‑level flight generally would climb to troubleshoot.
"However, with no other reasonable explanation and having excluded an aircraft malfunction, pre‑existing medical conditions, and environmental factors, it was likely that focusing on the no flow message, even momentarily, diverted the pilot’s attention away from outside the aircraft," the report states.
"Subsequently, the aircraft inadvertently descended. As the spray run was conducted at a low level, there was limited height available to recover and the aircraft touched the ground, subsequently colliding with the irrigation levee."
The full investigation report is on the ATSB website.