- Date
- July 27, 1996, 19:20 local (Jul 28, 1996, 00:20 UTC)
- Place
- Liberal, KS
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8837SAir Tractor AT-301
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 23, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960727020199A
- Case key
- 10328
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 pilot did not maintain aircraft control. A factor was a low altitude flight maneuver was performed.
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
While completing the last spraying pass, the pilot made a 270 degree right turn to spray the last area in the field. The pilot said he flew back through his prop wash and lost control of the airplane. The airplane impacted the terrain in a vertical angle.
Factual narrative
On July 27, 1996, at 1920 central daylight time (cdt), an Air Tractor AT-301, N8837S, owned and operated by a commercial pilot, was destroyed during a collision with terrain while conducting aerial spraying. The pilot reported serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 137 flight was not operating on a flight plan. The flight departed Liberal, Kansas, at 1845 cdt.
According to the pilot's written statement, after spraying a field, the pilot made a 270 degree right turn to spray the last area of the field. The pilot stated, "When I reentered the field, I must have flown back through my prop wash causing me to lose control of the aircraft, causing me to hit the ground at a vertical angle."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8837S
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-301
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 301-0211
- Engine
- P&W R-1340, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Shannon Dickson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- LBL
- Destination
- LBL
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
- 41
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 8,189 total · 4,500 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DDC, 31 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.