# Accident 19980217001319A: Airtrc AT301, Wasco, CA, February 17, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: February 17, 1998, 17:34 local time - Place: Wasco, CA - Airport: Wasco Kern Co - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing - Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137) - Operator: RQDG - Location: 35.6401° N, 119.4391° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.6401&lon=-119.4391&mi=10 - Aircraft: N3656C, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3656C-2018-10-27) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Air Tractor AT-301 (registry code 0390103, https://openairdocs.org/model/air-tractor-at-301) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney R1340 series (registry code 52016, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-r1340-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AIRTRC AT301 - Reported engine: PWA R1340AN1 - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 13,900 total, 1,957 in this make and model, 86 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX98LA090](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA090) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980217001319A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON FEBRUARY 17, 1998, 1998, AT 1734 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, AN AIR TRACTOR AT-301, N3656C, LOST POWER DURING THE TAKEOFF INITIAL CLIMB AND COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND DURING AN ATTEMPTED RETURN TO THE RUNWAY AT THE WASCO, CALIFORNIA, AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. THE LOCAL AREA AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AT ROATATION FROM RUNWAY 30, HE HEARD A LOUD BANK FOLLOWED BY A STRONG ENGINE VIBRATION. HE INITIATED A LEFT TURN IN AN ATTEMPT TO RETURN TO THE RUNWAY AND SAW A PUFF OF SMOKE AND A FLASH OF FLAME EMITTING FROM THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE THEN QUIT COMPLETELY. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND BEFORE HE WAS ABLE TO RETURN TO THE RUNWAY. THE LANDING GEAR SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT, THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER, AND CAME TO REST INVERTED. A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTOR FROM FRESNO, CALIFORNIA, FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE, CONDUCTED AN ON-SITE EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT. HE REPORTED THAT THE NUMBER TWO CYLINDER WAS CRACKED BETWEEN THE AFT SPARK PLUG PORTHOLE TO THE FORWARD SPARK PLUG PORTHOLE. THE ENGINE HAD APPROXIMATELY 559 HOURS SINCE THE LAST MAJOR OVERHAUL. THE AIRCRAFT OWNER/OPERATOR REPORTED THAT A CRACKED CYLINDER WAS TYPICAL ON THE R1340 SERIES ENGINES, USUALLY DUE TO THE PILOT OVERBOOSTING THE ENGINE ON TAKEOFF., HE STATED THAT THE PILOT HAD CRACKED A CYLINDER ON THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT ON FIVE PREVIOUS OCCASIONS, AS WELL AS ON OTHER AIRCRAFT. THE OWNER STATED THAT NORMALLY THEY WOULD JUST REPLACE THE CYLINDER. HE FURTHER REPORTED THAT HE RIGOROUSLY TRAINS ALL HIS PILOTS IN EMERGENCY PROCEDURES. THE PILOT OF THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT RESPOND TO THE SAFETY BOARD'S REQUESTS FOR THE PILOT/OPERATOR REPORT. THE PILOT NO LONGER WORKS FOR THE OWNER. (-23) AIRCRAFT, N3656C, AN AIR TRACTOR, S/N 301-0304, DEPARTED THE WASCO-KERN CO. AIRPORT (L19) AT APPROXIMATELY 1730 HRS. TO PERFORM AERIAL APPLICATION. UPON ROTATION, THE PILOT HEARD A LOUD BANG AND FELT VIBRATION COMING FROM THE ENGINE AREA. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS A LOSS OF POWER AND LIGHT SMOKE WAS OBSERVED. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT BY TURNING LEFT TOWARDS AN OPEN HAYFIELD. THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE GROUND SEVERING THE WH EEL ASSEMBLIES AT THEIR MAIN GEARS AND SCRAPED THE RIGHT WING. THE PILOT OVER CORRECTED FROM THE RIGHT WING CONTACTING THE GROUND, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO ROLL ONTO THE LEFT WING, PIVOTING ON THE ENGINE AND PROPELLER ASSEMBLIES AS THE AIRCRAFT WENT INVERTED. ## 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 LAX98LA090](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA090), Feb 18, 1998: Air Tractor AT-301 (N3656C), Wasco, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot overboosting the engine on takeoff which resulted in a cracked cylinder and subsequent loss of engine power. ## Other reports on N3656C (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20140623013969I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140623013969I), Jun 23, 2014: Air Tractor Inc AT-301 (N3656C), CA, No damage. Commerical pilot was operating aircraft dispensing fertilizer over a rice field when the engine lost power. The pilot maneuvered the aircraft to land on a dirt… 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.