- Date
- February 18, 1991, 14:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Pavo, GA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8770SAir Tractor AT-301
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910218002809A
- Case key
- 8378
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
The failure of the no. 2 exhaust valve and cylinder head, which resulted in a total loss of engine power. A factor in the accident was the collision with a road sign during the forced landing.
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
The no. 2 exhaust valve failed while the pilot was maneuvering during a spraying operation. He completed an emergency landing to a road and collided with a road sign during the roll out. Reportedly, the engine was approximately 1100 hours out of the last overhaul; the engine's total time was not available. The failure mode was not determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8770S
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-301
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AT-301-188
- Engine
- P&W R-1340, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Air Farming, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Air Farming, Inc.
- Departed
- 4J5 · Quitman, 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
- 37
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 9,000 total · 3,000 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 12 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 15,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- VLD, 25 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N8770S · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.