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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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