- Date
- June 27, 1986, 05:45 local (11:45 UTC)
- Place
- Buffalo, WY
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N40443Martin 404
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860627082839A
- Case key
- 16832
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Analysis
N40443 was contracted by the Wyoming dept of ag to spray grasshoppers. Investigation revealed the plt held a pvt certificate with asmel ratings. His medical certificate was denied because he failed to provide information concerning high blood pressure and alcoholism. Co-plt held a commercial certificate with asel rating. No evidence was found to indicate that either plt had any operating experience in the martin 404 acft. Former employees of operator stated that N40443 was not well maintained. The ADI system and interior lights were inop. Weight of acft at the time of accident was calculated to be 44,492 pounds. The max gross total weight for a 'dry' takeoff from a 4,500 foot rwy was approximately 37,900 pounds. The flt manual performance charts indicate that a rwy length of over 5,500 feet would be needed for an acft at 44,492 pounds. The acft collided with a dirt bank during takeoff.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N40443
- Reported as
- Martin 404
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 14228
- Engine
- P&W R2800-CBC, 1,250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Frontier Airways, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Airport
- BYG · Johnson County, runway 30, 4,500 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 60
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.