19980731019399A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Airtrc AT-301 · Mentha, MI · July 31, 1998

Date: July 31, 1998 · 13:30 local
Place: Mentha, MI
Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: RCDG
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N3659T
NTSB investigation: NTSBCHI98LA290
Reported as: Airtrc AT301
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney R1340AN1
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,417 total300 in this make and model250 in the last 90 days

N3659TRegistered now · Air Tractor AT-301S/N 301-0329 · Built 1981 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.

Veered off road into ditch and cornfield landing. Bent wings and gear. (.4)the pilot of an aerial applicator airplane landed his airplane on a road that had an uneven surface and was covered with lose gravel. The road had mature corn growing along its edges. The pilot said his left wing tip struck the corn as the airplane touched down. Furrows in the gravel showed the airplane had turned about 45-degrees to the left shortly after touch down. The furrows continued into and through a ditch and into the corn where the airplane came to a stop. (-23) the pilot lost directional control while landing on the gravel road, thus veering off the road into the cornfield, damaging the right wing spar and landing gear.

As the FAA filed it

VEERED OFF ROAD INTO DITCH AND CORNFIELD LANDING. BENT WINGS AND GEAR. (.4)THE PILOT OF AN AERIAL APPLICATOR AIRPLANE LANDED HIS AIRPLANE ON A ROAD THAT HAD AN UNEVEN SURFACE AND WAS COVERED WITH LOSE GRAVEL. THE ROAD HAD MATURE CORN GROWING ALONG ITS EDGES. THE PILOT SAID HIS LEFT WING TIP STRUCK THE CORN AS THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN. FURROWS IN THE GRAVEL SHOWED THE AIRPLANE HAD TURNED ABOUT 45-DEGREES TO THE LEFT SHORTLY AFTER TOUCH DOWN. THE FURROWS CONTINUED INTO AND THROUGH A DITCH AND INTO THE CORN WHERE THE AIRPLANE CAME TO A STOP. (-23) THE PILOT LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WHILE LANDING ON THE GRAVEL ROAD, THUS VEERING OFF THE ROAD INTO THE CORNFIELD, DAMAGING THE RIGHT WING SPAR AND LANDING GEAR.

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 CHI98LA290Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportMentha, MIthe pilot's improper inflight decision to land the airplane on the gravel covered road with an uneven surface that had corn growing next to its edge. A factor in this accident was the pilot selecting an unsuitable landing area.Jul 31, 1998 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N3659T · 1

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

Accident 20030620010889AFcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise · South Haven, MI(-23) On 06/20/03, the subject aircraft took off from the home base (South Haven) airport at approximately 8:50 am to do aerial spraying in hager township. Upon returning to the base of operation in South Haven, pilot experienced an exhaust back fire twice in…Jun 20, 2003 · Substantial damage