# Accident 20011107030899A: Airtrc AT301, Anton, TX, November 7, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: November 7, 2001, 08:00 local time - Place: Anton, TX - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise - Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137) - Operator: TCBG - Location: 33.8097° N, 102.1603° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.8097&lon=-102.1603&mi=10 - Aircraft: N2316X, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2316X-2006-05-01) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Air Tractor AT-301 (registry code 0390103, https://openairdocs.org/model/air-tractor-at-301) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AIRTRC AT301 - Reported engine: PWA R1340* - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 2,685 total, 400 in this make and model, 296 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW02LA030](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02LA030) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20011107030899A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) ON NOVEMBER 7, 2001, AT APPROXIMATELY 0800 CST (1400 UTC) LOCAL TIME, THE PILOT OF AN AGRICULTURAL AIR TRACTOR AT-301 AIRCRAFT, N2316X, EXPERIENCED ENGINE FAILURE DURING AN AERIAL SPRAYING APPLICATION. THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE STARTED TO GET ROUGH AND EVENTUALLY LOST POWER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN AND FLIPPED-OVER DURING A FORCED LANDING, FOLLOWING A PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER DURING AN AERIAL SPRAYING APPLICATION NEAR ANTON, TEXAS. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (VMC) PREVAILED. A TEARDOWN INSPECTION (DETAILED ENGINE EXAMINATION) HAS BEEN PLANNED AT YOUNKIN AVIATION, INC., FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS. (.4) ON NOVEMBER 7, 2001, AT 0800 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, AN AIR TRACTOR AT-301 AGRICULTURAL AIRPLANE, N2316X, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WHILE MANEUVERING NEAR ANTON, TEXAS. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO PEST ELIMINATION SYSTEMS INC., OF LITTLEFIELD, TEXAS, AND OPERATED BY BROWN FLYING SERVICE OF LITTLEFIELD, TEXAS. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRPLANE, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 137 AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE LITTLEFIELD MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, LITTLEFIELD, TEXAS, AT 0710. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE WAS APPLYING MALATHION TO A FIELD. AFTER SPRAYING FOR 20 MINUTES, THE ENGINE "SLOWLY STARTED TO LOSE POWER." THE PILOT ABANDONED THE SPRAY OPERATION AND INITIATED A RETURN FLIGHT TO THE BASE AIRPORT IN LITTLEFIELD. HOWEVER, DURING THE RETURN FLIGHT, THE ENGINE LOST TOTAL POWER, AND HE EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING TO A FIELD. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE AIRPLANE CONTACTED A DIRT TERRACE, THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR WHEEL SEPARATED, AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER, COMING TO REST INVERTED. THE FAA INSPECTOR, WHO EXAMINED THE AIRPLANE AT THE ACCIDENT SITE, REPORTED THAT THE RIGHT WING, INCLUDING THE WING'S SPAR, WAS STRUCTURALLY DAMAGED, AND THE CANOPY WAS FLATTENED. THE PRATT & WHITNEY R-1340 ENGINE WAS TRANSPORTED TO YOUNKIN AVIATION, INC., FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS, FOR EXAMINATION AND OVERHAUL. A MECHANIC REPORTED THAT THE #5 CYLINDER DISPLAYED A CRACK THAT INITIATED AT ONE SPARK PLUG, CONTINUED OVER THE CYLINDER HEAD, AND ENDED AT THE SECOND SPARK PLUG. THE CRACK WENT THROUGH THE ENTIRE THICKNESS OF THE CYLINDER'S CASTING. HE REPORTED THAT THE #6 CYLINDER DISPLAYED A CRACK IN THE CASTING THAT MEASURED BETWEEN 1 AND 2 INCHES IN LENGTH. THE MECHANIC DID NOT NOTE ANY OTHER ANOMALIES. A REVIEW OF THE POWERPLANT LOGBOOK REVEALED THAT ON FEBRUARY 20, 2001, THE ENGINE UNDERWENT ITS LAST 100-HOUR INSPECTION. THE LOGBOOK ENTRY STATED THAT THE COMPRESSION ON EACH OF THE CYLINDERS WAS "ABOVE 70/80." ACCORDING TO THE PILOT/OPERATOR AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT (NTSB FORM 6120.1/2), AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT THE ENGINE HAD ACCUMULATED 257.0 HOURS SINCE THE 100-HOUR INSPECTION, AND 709.0 HOURS SINCE ITS LAST OVERHAUL. ## 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 FTW02LA030](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02LA030), Nov 7, 2001: Air Tractor AT-301 (N2316X), Anton, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The total loss of engine power while maneuvering due to a cracked cylinder, which resulted in a forced landing. A factor was lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing. ## Other reports on N2316X (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19970817022549A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970817022549A), Aug 17, 1997: Airtrc AT301 (N2316X), Vernon, TX, Substantial damage. During pullup from spray run struck 12FT irrigation pipe. Damaged NR5 cylinder causing power loss. (-23) on August 16, 1997, at 2034 CDT, an air tractor AT-301… 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.