- Date
- June 20, 1992, 06:25 local (12:25 UTC)
- Place
- Rocky Ford, CO
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3649DAir Tractor AT-301
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920620021219A
- Case key
- 18217
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 pilots failure to maintain altitude due to spatial disorientation. Factors were: low overcast skies and ground fog.
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 flying between fields on an aerial application flight, the aircraft impacted the ground in a shallow dive with power on the engine. Weather at the time was 800 feet overcast skies and ground fog.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3649D
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-301
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 301-0234
- Engine
- P&W R-1340AN-1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- C & L Flying Service
- Registered owner
- C & L Flying Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 2, 1900 · 226 hours before
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
- 58
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 10,249 total · 3,290 in this make and model · 141 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 800 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.