20011022027849A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Airtrc AT-301 · Morton, TX · October 22, 2001

Date: October 22, 2001 · 14:00 local
Place: Morton, TX
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N4395S
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW02LA020
Reported as: Airtrc AT301

N4395SRegistration cancelled Jan 25, 2008 · Air Tractor AT-301S/N 301-0055 · Built 1976 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.

(-23) A witness, located in the field adjacent to the accident site, reported that the airplane made two passes over the cotton field and during the subsequent turn-around maneuver, at approximately 400 feet AGL, the airplane "made a hard right turn near vertical, banked a hard left turn, going down, hit the ground and caught on fire." The wind was from the southwest at 10-15 knots. The commercial pilot received fatal injuries and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was found resting inverted in a burned grassy area adjacent to the cotton field. The structural integrity of the cockpit was intact; however, there was thermal destruction of the cockpit instruments, components and seat. There was no evidence found of an inflight fire. No mechanical discrepancies were found that would have precluded operational control of the aircraft prior to the impact.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) A WITNESS, LOCATED IN THE FIELD ADJACENT TO THE ACCIDENT SITE, REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE MADE TWO PASSES OVER THE COTTON FIELD AND DURING THE SUBSEQUENT TURN-AROUND MANEUVER, AT APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET AGL, THE AIRPLANE "MADE A HARD RIGHT TURN NEAR VERTICAL, BANKED A HARD LEFT TURN, GOING DOWN, HIT THE GROUND AND CAUGHT ON FIRE." THE WIND WAS FROM THE SOUTHWEST AT 10-15 KNOTS. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES AND THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE AIRPLANE WAS FOUND RESTING INVERTED IN A BURNED GRASSY AREA ADJACENT TO THE COTTON FIELD. THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE COCKPIT WAS INTACT; HOWEVER, THERE WAS THERMAL DESTRUCTION OF THE COCKPIT INSTRUMENTS, COMPONENTS AND SEAT. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE FOUND OF AN INFLIGHT FIRE. NO MECHANICAL DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND THAT WOULD HAVE PRECLUDED OPERATIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO THE IMPACT.

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 FTW02LA020Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportMorton, TXThe pilot's loss of control of the airplane during an aerial application maneuver.Oct 22, 2001 · Destroyed

Other reports on N4395S · 1

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

Incident 19820512032949ITo Aborted (Fixed Wing) · Shallowater, TXLost power on takeoff roll, aborted, nosed up off runway. Had fouled spark plugs.May 12, 1982 · Minor damage