# Accident 19990913026899A: Airtrc AT401, Caledonia, MS, September 13, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 13, 1999, 08:15 local time
- Place: Caledonia, MS
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
- Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
- Operator: ZPWG
- Location: 33.6810° N, 88.3200° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.6810&lon=-88.3200&mi=10
- Aircraft: N45205, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N45205-2002-05-02) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Air Tractor AT-401 (registry code 0390204, https://openairdocs.org/model/air-tractor-at-401) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney R1340 series (registry code 52016, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-r1340-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AIRTRC AT401
- Reported engine: ALIDSG TPE331201A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 15,030 total, 5,600 in this make and model, 387 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL99LA129](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL99LA129) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990913026899A

## Narrative

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

(.19) ON SEPTEMBER 13, 1999, AT 0815 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIE, AN AIR TRACTOR AT401, N45205, COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND FOLLOWING A REPORTED LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR CALEDONIA, MISSISSIPPI. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED BY THE COMMERCIAL PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 137, AND VISUAL FLIGHT RULES.  VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED.  THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED.  THE FLIGHT DEPARTED COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI AT APPROX. 0645.  ACCORDING TO AN FAA INSPECTOR, THE PILOT WAS SPRAYING CHEMICALS ON A COTTON FIELD AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROX. 300 FEET.  AS THE PILOT ENTERED A RIGHT TURN, THE ENGINE LOST POWER.  THE PILOT LANDED IN THE COTTON FIELD AND COLLIDED WITH A TREE.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                (.4)THE PILOT WAS SPRAYING CHEMICALS ON A COTTON FIELD AT AN ALTITUDE OF 300 FT. AN HOUR AND A HALF INTO THE FLIGHT, HE ENTERED A RIGHT TURN AND THE ENGINE LOST POWER.  DURING THE INITIATED FORCED LANDING, THE RIGHT WING COLLIDED WITH A TREE.  THE AIRPLANE SPUN TO THE RIGHT, COLLIDING WITH THE GROUND NOSE FIRST, BOUNCED SEVERAL TIMES, THEN CAME TO REST. POST-EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THERE WAS AN INTERRUPTION OF THE DIRECT DRIVE FUEL CONTROL (DDFC) GEAR-TRAIN DUE TO A LOSS OF MECHANICAL CONTACT BETWEEN THE TEETH OF THE SECOND AND THIRD DDFC GEARS. THE CAUSE FOR THE INTERFERENCE WAS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN DUE TO EXCESSIVE LOADING OF THE FORWARD GEAR TEETH OF THE THIRD DDFC GEAR RESULTING IN LOSS OF MATERIAL FROM THE THIRD DDFC GEAR.  NO ASSEMBLY, DIMENSIONAL OR MATERIAL DEFECTS WERE IDENTIFIED WHICH WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO EXCESSIVE LOADING OR INTERFERENCE BETWEEN THE SECOND AND THIRD DDFC GEARS.                                                         (-23)PILOT SAID HE PUT AIRCRAFT INTO A RIGHT TURN AFTER SPRAYING FIELD AND THE ENGINE LOST POWER.  THE AIRCRAFT HIT A HEDGE ROW AND LANDED INA COTTON FIELD.  THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.  NO INJURIES.

## 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 ATL99LA129](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL99LA129), Sep 13, 1999: Air Tractor AT-401 (N45205), Caledonia, MS, substantial damage. Probable cause: The failure of the fuel control gear train due to oil contamination. A factor was Inadequate maintenance.

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.

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