NTSB releases report after fatal midair collision involving two planes
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ARCO — A report provides new details after two planes collided in midair in Butte County last month.
The incident happened on June 20 near Arco around 1 p.m. One pilot died, and the other was taken to a hospital. Both aircraft involved were crop duster-type airplanes.
NTSB preliminary report
According to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board, an Air Tractor AT-802 and an Air Tractor AT-502B were “destroyed” when they were involved in a midair collision.
The pilot of the AT-802 was seriously injured, and the pilot of the AT-502B was killed. He was identified as Sage Teichert, 43, of Osgood.
The report said both airplanes were owned by the same operator, and both pilots were employed by the same operator. Click here to read a previous statement made by Visser Air Ag, a company in Rigby.
What happened
Both airplanes were operating from the Arco-Butte County Airport on the day of the accident.
The report says they began operations around 5:30 a.m., and each airplane had conducted multiple aerial application flights within 10 miles of the airport prior to the accident.
The final flight occurred after noon that day.
The AT-502B — flown by Teichert — departed the airport at about 12:30 p.m. with 400 gallons of a fungicide and insecticide mixture that was to be applied to wheat, the preliminary report said.
The AT-802 departed the airport at about 12:45 p.m. with full fuel tanks and 575 gallons of insecticide, which were to be applied to potatoes.
Aerial data from a recovered iPad for the AT-802 showed that the plane was applying chemicals to potato fields north of U.S. Highway 26. The plane was making northwest and southeast passes. The AT-802 was not equipped with ADS-B equipment which is a satellite-based technology that allows aircraft to broadcast their location.
The AT-502B was equipped with ADS-B equipment. It showed the flight path began with the airplane flying a west and then an east track about five miles northwest of the airport over wheat fields. The airplane then flew to the southeast before turning to the south, where it overflew the fields in which the AT-802 was working.
The witnesses’ account
Two witnesses that were traveling westbound on U.S. Highway 26 saw one airplane traveling from north to south over the highway at low altitude, the report said.
They also saw a second airplane traveling towards the first on a northerly heading. The southbound airplane appeared to make a left turn in front of the northbound airplane, which then appeared to make a left turn to avoid the first airplane before they collided, the report said.
The airplanes came to rest on flat, sagebrush-covered terrain. The preliminary report does not say much else about the crash. A more comprehensive final report from NTSB is expected in the coming months.
Read a memorial story about Teichert here.
As for the other pilot, who has not been identified, he is still recovering.
The following is a statement from Brandon Visser, the owner of Visser Ag.
“The pilot from the double plane cropdusting accident on June 20, 2024 is improving daily. He suffered significant injuries to his lower body because of the force of the accident. Both legs had multiple breaks from a broken ankle on one leg to a broken knee on the other. He fractured his pelvis and suffered a traumatic brain injury. He is making progress everyday but it will be a long road to full recovery for him. His family wishes to thank all those who have reached out and showed their support.”
