19970620015289A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Airtrc AT-301 · La Belle, FL · June 20, 1997

Date: June 20, 1997 · 15:30 local
Place: La Belle, FL
Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: NGFG
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N23728
NTSB investigation: NTSBATL97LA087
Reported as: Airtrc AT301
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney R1340*
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 13,000 total1,000 in this make and model150 in the last 90 days

N23728Registration cancelled Mar 2, 2005 · Air Tractor AT-301S/N 301-0424 · Built 1982 Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-301 Engine modelPratt & Whitney R1340 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(.4)After reloading to apply fertilizer to a sugar cane field, the pilot took off and made a swath run. During a turn-around maneuver for the second swath, at about 200 yards away from the field and 50 feet above the ground, the airplane began sinking rapidly. The pilot added full power, and the airplane mushed into the ground. The airplane hit a levee, nosed over, and came to rest about 100 feet into the sugar cane field. (-23) pilot states that he was spraying a field near labelle, FL and as he came out of a turn to line up on the next pass the aircraft impacted the ground.

As the FAA filed it

(.4)AFTER RELOADING TO APPLY FERTILIZER TO A SUGAR CANE FIELD, THE PILOT TOOK OFF AND MADE A SWATH RUN. DURING A TURN-AROUND MANEUVER FOR THE SECOND SWATH, AT ABOUT 200 YARDS AWAY FROM THE FIELD AND 50 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE AIRPLANE BEGAN SINKING RAPIDLY. THE PILOT ADDED FULL POWER, AND THE AIRPLANE MUSHED INTO THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE HIT A LEVEE, NOSED OVER, AND CAME TO REST ABOUT 100 FEET INTO THE SUGAR CANE FIELD. (-23) PILOT STATES THAT HE WAS SPRAYING A FIELD NEAR LABELLE, FL AND AS HE CAME OUT OF A TURN TO LINE UP ON THE NEXT PASS THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ATL97LA087Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportLabelle, FLfailure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed during a turn-around maneuver, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/mush and collision with the terrain.Jun 20, 1997 · Substantial damage