# Accident 19970817022549A: Airtrc AT301, Vernon, TX, August 17, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 17, 1997, 20:34 local time
- Place: Vernon, TX
- Airport: Wilbarger Count Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
- Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
- Operator: V4AG
- Location: 34.1409° N, 99.2992° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.1409&lon=-99.2992&mi=10
- Aircraft: N2316X, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2316X-2006-05-01) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Air Tractor AT-301 (registry code 0390103, https://openairdocs.org/model/air-tractor-at-301) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AIRTRC AT301
- Reported engine: PWA R1340AN1
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 4,948 total, 1,550 in this make and model, 150 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW97LA317](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97LA317) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970817022549A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

DURING PULLUP FROM SPRAY RUN STRUCK 12FT IRRIGATION PIPE. DAMAGED NR5 CYLINDER CAUSING POWER LOSS. (-23) ON AUGUST 16, 1997, AT 2034 CDT, AN AIR TRACTOR AT-301 AIRPLANE, N2316X, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR VERNON, TEXAS. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRPLANE, WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY VERNON AG SERVICE UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 137. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE LOCAL AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT THAT ORIGINATED FROM VERNON, TEXAS, APPROXIMATELY 40 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB FTW97LA317](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97LA317), Aug 17, 1997: Air Tractor AT-301 (N2316X), Vernon, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: failure of the pilot to maintain clearance from an irrigation pipe. Factors relating to the accident were: the poor light condition at dusk, the object (vertical piece of irragation pipe), loss of…

## Other reports on N2316X (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 20011107030899A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20011107030899A), Nov 7, 2001: Airtrc AT301 (N2316X), Anton, TX, Substantial damage. (-23) On November 7, 2001, at approximately 0800 CST (1400 UTC) local time, the pilot of an agricultural air tractor AT-301 aircraft, N2316X, experienced…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.