20090707047769A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Air Tractor AT-301 · Brinson, GA · July 7, 2009

Date: July 7, 2009 · 13:02 local
Place: Brinson, GA
Airport: Decatur County Industrial Air
Phase of flight: Unknown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N8587S
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA09LA385
Reported as: Air Tractor AT-301
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney R1340 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 239 total3 in this make and model193 in the last 90 days

N8587SRegistration cancelled May 15, 2013 · Air Tractor AT-301S/N 301-0153 · Built 1978 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.

Witnesses state that the aircraft was approximately 600 - 700 feet off the ground when the aircraft appeared to be in a slight climb, they saw a white trail of smoke, I believe to be water due to no indication of 200 gallons of water spillage at impact site, coming from the aft end of the aircraft, and then the nose of the aircraft pitched down and went into a violent spin and impacted the ground at an approximate 35 degree angle.

As the FAA filed it

WITNESSES STATE THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY 600 - 700 FEET OFF THE GROUND WHEN THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE IN A SLIGHT CLIMB, THEY SAW A WHITE TRAIL OF SMOKE, I BELIEVE TO BE WATER DUE TO NO INDICATION OF 200 GALLONS OF WATER SPILLAGE AT IMPACT SITE, COMING FROM THE AFT END OF THE AIRCRAFT, AND THEN THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED DOWN AND WENT INTO A VIOLENT SPIN AND IMPACTED THE GROUND AT AN APPROXIMATE 35 DEGREE ANGLE.

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 ERA09LA385Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportBrinson, GAThe pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of experience in the make and model airplane.Jul 7, 2009 · Substantial damage