20040313010959A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Airtrc AT-301 · Dealing, LA · March 13, 2004

Date: March 13, 2004 · 10:00 local
Place: Dealing, LA
Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: GZOG
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N4359S
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW04LA091
Reported as: Airtrc AT301
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney R1340AN1
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 9,200 total7,500 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days

N4359SRegistration cancelled Jan 19, 2018 · Air Tractor AT-301S/N 301-0039 · 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) During take off the aircraft lost power for a moment and then started to regain power. The aircraft's altitude was insufficient to compensate for the loss of power. The aircraft's wings struck two trees and both the MLG struck a creek bank causing them to separate from the aircraft. Subsequently, the aircraft skid on it's belly for approximately one hundred and twenty feet. Just as the aircraft came to rest, a post crash fire developed and consumed the aircraft fuselage from just aft of the cockpit forward. The wing root areas were also consumed. The aircraft had approximately one thousand pounds of fertilizer on board. There was no evidence that the payload was being dumped prior to impact. Due to the severity of post fire damage to the engine and related components, no further investigation can be accomplished that would yield a reasonable cause. The NTSB has also determined that due to the severity of post crash fire damage, no further investigation need be accomplished.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) DURING TAKE OFF THE AIRCRAFT LOST POWER FOR A MOMENT AND THEN STARTED TO REGAIN POWER. THE AIRCRAFT'S ALTITUDE WAS INSUFFICIENT TO COMPENSATE FOR THE LOSS OF POWER. THE AIRCRAFT'S WINGS STRUCK TWO TREES AND BOTH THE MLG STRUCK A CREEK BANK CAUSING THEM TO SEPARATE FROM THE AIRCRAFT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRCRAFT SKID ON IT'S BELLY FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FEET. JUST AS THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST, A POST CRASH FIRE DEVELOPED AND CONSUMED THE AIRCRAFT FUSELAGE FROM JUST AFT OF THE COCKPIT FORWARD. THE WING ROOT AREAS WERE ALSO CONSUMED. THE AIRCRAFT HAD APPROXIMATELY ONE THOUSAND POUNDS OF FERTILIZER ON BOARD. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE THAT THE PAYLOAD WAS BEING DUMPED PRIOR TO IMPACT. DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF POST FIRE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE AND RELATED COMPONENTS, NO FURTHER INVESTIGATION CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED THAT WOULD YIELD A REASONABLE CAUSE. THE NTSB HAS ALSO DETERMINED THAT DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF POST CRASH FIRE DAMAGE, NO FURTHER INVESTIGATION NEED BE ACCOMPLISHED.

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 FTW04LA091Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPlain Dealing, LAA loss of engine power due to undetermined reasons. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.Mar 13, 2004 · Destroyed

Other reports on N4359S · 1

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

Accident 19820529019839AForced/Precautionary Landing · New Deal, TXEngine quit on climbout. Banked to void powerlines and flew into ground. Cause of power loss unknown.May 29, 1982 · Destroyed