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NTSB Closes Special Investigative Report on Agricultural Aviation Industry based on NAAA Education Efforts

NAAA was informed this week that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has closed Special Investigative Report (SIR) SIR-14/01. The SIR was released in 2014 with the goal of addressing agricultural aircraft accidents. It was based on a detailed analysis conducted by NTSB of all 2013 ag aviation accidents.

The SIR included safety recommendations for both the ag aviation industry and the FAA. These recommendations were summarized in four action items the NTSB suggested NAAA and FAA work to create:

  1. Guidance on fatigue management
  2. Guidance on risk management
  3. Best management practices on ag aircraft maintenance and inspection
  4. Standardized information for ag aircraft knowledge and skills test

Recommendations one through three were addressed through magazine and website education content and PAASS programs covering maintenance, risk management, and fatigue, NAAA’s Combatting Fatigue in Ag Aviation brochure, and FAA’s Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO) for Part 137 operations. NTSB responded to these efforts by informing NAAA they considered these three recommendations “closed with acceptable action.”

To address the fourth recommendation, NAAA created a knowledge and skill subcommittee that worked for several years to develop The Agricultural Airman Guidelines (AAG), published in May of 2024. In conjunction with the AAG, the NAAA Education Center was also created. Courses on the Education Center are and will continue to be structured around the AAG and the industry’s professional certification program, Certified Professional Aerial Applicator Safety Steward (C-PAASS), to ensure ag aviators have access to industry standardized education covering all aspects of the Part 137 knowledge and skills test.

After completing the AAG and launching the first courses on the NAAA Education Center, NAAA sent NTSB a letter detailing how these two efforts addressed the recommendation for ag aviation knowledge and skills guidance. The NTSB responded in a letter indicating this recommendation is “Closed—Exceeds Recommended Action”. While this is good news for the industry, the industry still experiences too many fatal accidents. NAAA will continue efforts to provide safety education for ag aviators and it encourages all aerial applicators to become C-PAASS certified each year due to statistical evidence that proves participating in these professional programs markedly mitigates both accidents and drift.

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County Ordinance Enacted in Minnesota Prohibiting MET Towers and Requiring a Minimum of One-Mile Separation Between Wind Turbines

Thanks to effective advocacy by the Minnesota Agricultural Aircraft Association (MAAA) and its members, a county ordinance recently passed in the Gopher State that prohibits the erection of meteorological towers (METs) and requires wind turbines to be placed a minimum of one-mile apart.  Ryan Lubben, owner of West Central Aviation in Fergus Falls, MN, and long-time MAAA and NAAA member, coupled with Terry Stieren, the MAAA’s executive director, spent months working with the Traverse County Board of Commissioners on this ordinance to regulate wind and solar farms.  On March 3rd, they succeeded in their efforts when the Commissioners voted 3-1 to pass the ordinance.  More can be read about the issue as covered by the Traverse County Gazette by clicking here.

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Matt Tarter Fatally Injured in Ag Aviation Accident

The members and staff of NAAA offer their condolences to the family and friends of Matt Tarter who was fatally injured in an ag aviation accident on March 19, 2025. The accident occurred near Dayton, Washington. Matt was currently residing in Yakima, Washington but originally hailed from Halfway, Oregon. He was 34 years old at the time of his passing.

Matt’s funeral service will be held on Saturday, April 12, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.at the Halfway Elementary School in Halfway, Oregon.  Interment will follow with Military Honors at the Pine Haven Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home & Cremation Services. Click here to read Matt’s obituary and offer condolences.

Matt leaves behind a wife and a young daughter. A GoFundMe webpage has been started to contribute to his daughter’s college fund. Click here for more information. Please keep Matt’s family in your prayers as they grieve his loss.

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Recording of Last Week’s Webinar on Inspection and Maintenance Requirements for Large Aircraft Now Available Online

Last week NAAA hosted a webinar to help operators and mechanics understand inspection and maintenance requirements for large ag aircraft. Interest in the topic is the result of a recent change in how FAA interprets the FARs. There were three guests who participated on a panel to discuss the new requirements and answer questions from the attendees. Their contact information is included in the event you still have questions.

A full recording the webinar can be viewed here. Following is a summary of the key points made during the webinar:

  • 14 CFR 1.1 defines “large aircraft” as having a maximum certified takeoff weight of more than 12,500 pounds.
    • Regarding inspections, this means the AT-802/AT-802A is covered under §91.409(e) which requires an OEM Inspection Program (as detailed in the owner’s manual), not an annual inspection. Therefore AT-802/AT-802A aircraft must log 12-month inspections instead of “Annual” inspections.
  • For 100-, 200-, and 300-hour inspections on AT-802/AT-802A:
    • Air Tractor suggests (i.e. optional – not required) you do them at the suggested time intervals.
    • You are required to do them once a year in conjunction with the 12-Month inspection.
    • Check your congested area plan to see if you agreed to 100-hour inspections.
  • Engine and prop overhauls – §91.409(e) requires you to perform inspections in accordance with the inspection program, not overhauls.
    • Hot Section Inspection (HSI) is mandatory.
    • Inspections of propeller and engine must be done at the intervals specified by Hartzell and Pratt & Whitney.
    • Engine overhaul at Pratt & Whitney recommended TBO is not mandatory.
  • Legally the 12-month inspection can be conducted by an A&P; an IA is not required.
  • Air Tractor strongly encourages the 12-month inspection be conducted by an IA.
  • All AT-802/AT-802A should contact their local FSDO to discuss these changes and how to move forward regarding inspections.

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NAAA Ag Aviation Expo Hotel Room Block Open

The NAAA hotel room block is now open for the 2025 Ag Aviation Expo at the Atlantis in Reno, Nov. 17-19. The Atlantis has undergone extensive renovations in all sleeping rooms and several restaurants in the hotel.

All events will take place at the Atlantis or Reno-Sparks Convention Center, which are connected via a skywalk.

Attendees need to stay in the NAAA room block. We get the best hotel room rates for our attendees, and if the NAAA hotel block is not filled, we cannot offer great rates for future years!

As you plan your Reno trip, please note that two safety sessions will take place on Saturday, Nov. 15. The sessions will be the Flying in the Wire & Obstruction Environment Course and Turning an Ag Airplane Safely Course, taught by Fran de Kock. Additional details and times of each session will be available soon.

Atlantis Hotel Reservations
3800 S. Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada 89502
Hotel Phone: (775) 825-4700

The Atlantis resort fee is waived for attendees and exhibitors who book in the NAAA room block ($40 savings per night).

  • Reservations: Book your room online here or call (800) 723-6500 and identify National Agricultural Aviation Association Convention for the discounted room rate. The Atlantis charges a one-room night fee per room booked to hold the room(s). A refund is provided if the room is cancelled 48 hours or prior to the arrival date.
  • Rate: $139/night
  • Room block deadline: October 30, 2025

NOTE: No one from (or on behalf of) the hotel or NAAA will contact you to book a hotel room. NAAA recommends that you make your own hotel reservations using the information that we provide to you. Do not book a room with any company that calls you directly. You may also receive spam emails to purchase lists from NAAA; this is spam and NAAA does not solicit selling lists of attendees/visitors.

Details for the 2025 Ag Aviation Expo

  • Dates: Nov. 17-19 (Flying in the Wire and Obstruction Environment and Turning an Ag Airplane Safely Courses will take place Nov. 15)
  • NAAA Hotel Room Block: Open
  • Exhibit Booth Sales: Aircraft and large booth space now open. 10×10 and 10×20 booth sales open July 10 at 12 p.m. ET. Contact Lindsay Barber for large booth space.
  • Attendee Registration Open: July
  • Never been to Reno? Learn more here.
  • Flying Into Reno: Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO) has eleven airlines providing more than 120 daily departures and arrivals.
  • Flying your own aircraft: Visit www.renoairport.com/general-aviation/. NAAA recommends Stellar Aviation FBO, and we’ll have more details about specials as we approach the expo dates.

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FAA’s GA Survey Data Collection for 2024 is Now Underway

The FAA’s 47th annual General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey (GA Survey) is now officially underway. The survey is for collecting aviation activity for the calendar year 2024. The GA Survey is the only source of information available that provides reliable data on the GA fleet, including number of aircraft and hours flown. The data is used by the FAA, other government agencies, and the aviation industry for a variety of things, including assessing safety and understanding the economic impact of aviation.

This year the launch of the GA Survey will proceed differently than in prior years. On Monday, February 10, 2025, the survey was launched for owners/operators of individual aircraft only. The survey for owners/operators of multiple aircraft (i.e., fleets) launched mid-March.

Note that not everyone will be invited to participate – the survey reaches about 30% of GA aviators every year. If you are selected to participate in the GA Survey, you will receive an email or postcard invitation asking you to complete the survey online. Those who do not complete the survey online will receive a mail survey which includes a postage-paid return envelope. The information is confidential and will only be used for statistical purposes and will not be published or released in any form that would reveal an individual participant. It only takes 10-15 minutes to complete the survey. You may be asked to participate two or more years in a row. If you are contacted, please respond to the survey even if you did not fly your aircraft during 2024, sold it, or if the aircraft was damaged. If you own three of more aircraft, there is an abbreviated survey form you can use instead of needing to complete a survey for each aircraft.

The GA Survey is especially critical to the agricultural aviation industry. NAAA uses the results of the GA Survey, in conjunction with NTSB accident numbers, to calculate an overall accident rate and a fatal accident rate for Part 137 operations. This allows NAAA to track and document the safety of the agricultural aviation industry and provide evidence to the FAA and NTSB that PAASS and other safety programs are working to reduce Part 137 accidents.

If you have questions, please contact Tetra Tech, the independent research firm that conducts the GA Survey for the FAA, toll-free at 1-800-826-1797 or by email at infoaviationsurvey@tetratech.com. Results from prior surveys can be found here.

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In Case You Missed Last Week’s NAAA eNewsletter

Click here for the March 27, 2025 eNewsletter to read:

  • NAAA Advocates Airspace Safety, Environmental Stewardship Education and Other Professionalism Topics at 2025 Spray Drone User Conference in Mobile, Alabama
  • Ag Aviation Operator Annual Open House Commemorating National Ag Week Held at Fargo Air Museum
  • NAAA Comments to Protect Aerial Applications of Chlorpyrifos and Retain More Crops on Label
  • Did You Miss PAASS This Year? AMOC Released! 
  • Nominations Open for the 2025 NAAA Awards

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