# Accident 19980519010269A: Airtrc AT301, Idaho Falls, ID, May 19, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 19, 1998, 06:30 local time - Place: Idaho Falls, ID - Airport: Private - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 43.4302° N, 111.8896° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.4302&lon=-111.8896&mi=10 - Aircraft: N4326S, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4326S) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Air Tractor AT-301 (registry code 0390103, https://openairdocs.org/model/air-tractor-at-301) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney R-985 series (registry code 52008, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-r-985-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AIRTRC AT301 - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 6,200 total, 6 in this make and model, 12 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA98LA079](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA98LA079) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980519010269A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ACFT LANDED DOWNWIND ON A DIRT STRIP AND A GUST OF WIND CAUGHT THE TAIL AND FLIPPED THE ACFT OVER. (.4)AS THE PILOT APPROACHED THE AGRICULTURAL APPLICATION AIRSTRIP, HE DECIDED THAT HE WOULD LAND DOWNWIND SO THAT HE WOULD END HIS LANDING ROLL NEAR THE EQUIPMENT THAT WOULD BE USED TO LOAD THE AIRCRAFT. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN, THE PILOT BECAME UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE DOWNWIND LANDING, AND ELECTED TO MAKE A GO-AROUND. HE APPLIED POWER TWO SEPARATE TIMES DURING THE ATTEMPTED GO-AROUND, BUT BOTH TIMES THE ENGINE COUGHED AND SPUTTERED AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE PILOT THEREFORE DECIDED TO ABORT THE GO-AROUND, AND ATTEMPTED TO STOP THE AIRCRAFT IN THE REMAINING RUNWAY. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS SLOWING, THE TAILWIND PICKED UP THE AFT END OF THE AIRCRAFT AND CAUSED IT TO NOSE OVER. IN A POST- ACCIDENT TELEPHONE INTERVIEW, THE PILOT SAID THAT HE HAD FAILED TO READJUST THE ENGINE FUEL MIXTURE FROM ITS MORE-LEAN CRUISE SETTING PRIOR TO LANDING. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THE ENGINE HAD BEEN WORKING FINE, AND THAT HE FELT SURE THAT IF HE HAD ADJUSTED THE MIXTURE PRIOR TO LANDING THAT THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE ACCELERATED WH EN HE ADDED POWER FOR THE GO-AROUND. (-23)AIRPLANE WAS FLOWN FROM RIGBY IDAHO TO A DIRT STRIP 3 MILES NW OF IDAHO FALLS ID. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE ELECTED TO LAND WITH A TAILWIND BACAUSE A LANDING IN THAT DIRECTION WOULD ALLOW HIM TO COME TO A STOP NEAR THE EQUIPMENT THAT WAS GOING TO BE USED TO LOAD CHEMICALS IN THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT STATED HE BECAME UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE DOWNWIND LANDING AND ELECTED TO GO-AROUND. WHEN HE APPLIED POWER A SECOND TIME THE ENGINE COUGHED AND FAILED TO ACCELERATE, THE PILOT RETARDED THE POWER AND ATTEMPTED TO COMPLETE THE LANDING. THE PILOT BROUGHT THE STICK TO FULL-AFT THE TAIL WHEEL SETTLED ONTO THE TERRAIN AS THE AIRPLANE SLOWED THE TAILWIND LIFTED THE TAIL AND NOSED OVER. THE PILOT STATED HE LEANED THE MIXTURE EN ROUTE AND FELT THAT IF THE MIXTURE WOULD HAVE BEEN RICHER THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE ACCELERATED NORMALLY. ## 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 SEA98LA079](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA98LA079), May 19, 1998: Air Tractor AT-301 (N4326S), Idaho Falls, ID, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inadequate inflight decision to land with a tailwind and his failure to maintain aircraft control. Also contributing was the pilot's improper setting of the fuel mixture which resulted in… ## Other reports on N4326S (3) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20220801007619A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220801007619A), Aug 1, 2022: Air Tractor Inc AT-301 (N4326S), Leon, IA, Destroyed. Pilot experienced lack of engine performance for unknown reasons while enroute to the field to be sprayed. The aircraft impacted a heavy wooded area causing a… - [Accident 19950717019149A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19950717019149A), Jul 17, 1995: Airtrc AT301 (N4326S), Roberts, ID, Substantial damage. Lost power on takeoff. Flipped and carthweeled landing in barley. Exhaust valve rocker arm shaft had failed. - [Accident 19820718030149A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19820718030149A), Jul 18, 1982: Airtrc AT300 (N4326S), San Joaquin, CA, Substantial damage. Crash occurred during emergency landing after engine failed for unknown reasons. 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.