- Date
- July 30, 2003, 16:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Girard, GA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N61227Air Tractor AT401B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Atlanta FSDO
- FAA report
- 20030730022349A
- Case key
- 57612
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
A loss of engine power due to the failure of the internal supercharger blower seals.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
According to the pilot, during climb-out the engine lost power. The pilot continued on the takeoff heading and the airplane collided with trees during an emergency descent. Examination of the engine revealed the engine blower seals failed. Engine oil was found in the combustion chamber and the spark plug electrodes were saturated with oil.
Factual narrative
On July 30, 2003 at 1615 eastern daylight time, an Air Tractor AT401B, N61227, registered to and operated by D and D Spraying Inc., collided with the ground during climb-out from a private airstrip in Girard, Georgia. The agricultural flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR part 137. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage and the pilot was not injured. The flight departed the private strip in Girard, Georgia, on July 30, 2003 at 1600.
According to the pilot, he loaded the airplane to complete a spraying operation in a nearby field. During the climb-out approximately 100 feet the engine lost power. The pilot continued on takeoff heading and collided with trees during an emergency descent. Examination of the airplane revealed the wings and the fuselage were buckled. Examination of the Pratt & Whitney 1340 AN-1 radial engine revealed the engine supercharger blower seals failed. Engine oil was found in the combustion chamber and the spark plug electrodes were saturated with oil.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N61227
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT401B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 401B-0978
- Airframe hours
- 2,090
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney R1340, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- D & D Spraying Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 18, 2003 · 76 hours before
- Departed
- Girard, GA
- Destination
- Girard, GA
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 16,350 total · 16,230 in this make and model · 16,350 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 0 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- KAGS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.