- Date
- July 15, 1993, 15:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Dermott, AR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1009TAir Tractor AT-401
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 13, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930715024179A
- Case key
- 11096
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
Power loss due to the total failure of the engine's master rod. Factors were an improper engine overhaul and the lack of suitable terrain for a 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 pilot had just finished applying fertilizer to a rice field and was banking to return to his airstrip when the engine suddenly lost power. A forced landing was made to a flooded rice field. When the wheels touched, the airplane sank into the water and soft ground and nosed over. Post-accident engine disassembly revealed evidence of a pre-existing crack and subsequent total failure of the master rod. An engine overhaul was completed two weeks prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
On July 15, 1993, at approximately 1500 central daylight time, the pilot of an Air Tractor AT-401, N1009T, made a forced landing in a rice field approximately 4 miles north of Dermott, Arkansas. There were no injuries to the pilot, but the airplane was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed for the aerial application flight.
The following is based on the pilot's accident report. The pilot had been applying fertilizer to a rice field. He banked the airplane to return to his airstrip when the engine lost power and he was forced to land in a rice field which had been flooded. When the wheels touched the ground, the airplane sank in the water and soft ground and overturned.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who supervised the engine inspection and disassembly, there was evidence that the master rod had failed. He also found evidence of a pre-existing crack. The nature of the crack could not be determined.
A review of the airplane's maintenance records disclosed the following pertinent entries:
August 18, 1989 - ENGINE MAJOR OVERHAUL
Tachometer - 557.0 hours Engine Total Time - 8 ,798 hours Remarks - Chrome cylinders installed.
February 5, 1990 - 100-HOUR/ANNUAL INSPECTION
Tachometer - 663.2 hours Engine Total Time - 8,904.2 hours Remarks - Oil drained from engine crankcase and rocker sumps. No metal contamination. Tachometer replaced.
July 27, 1990 - NO. 9 CYLINDER REPLACED WITH OVERHAULED CYLINDER.
Tachometer - 493.0 hours Engine Total Time - 9397.2 hours Remarks - Tachometer replaced.
December 10, 1990 - ENGINE REMOVED FOR OVERHAUL
Tachometer - 38.0 hours Engine Total Time - 9579.2 hours
July 1, 1993 - ENGINE INSTALLED ON N1009T
Tachometer - 0.0 hours Engine Total Time - 9579.2 hours
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1009T
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-401
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 401-0707
- Airframe hours
- 2,639
- Engine
- P&W R-1340-AN1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Demailly, Christian J.F.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Limited (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 11, 1992 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Mcgehee, AR
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
- 45
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 11,794 total · 2,964 in this make and model · 11,630 as pilot in command · 273 in the last 90 days · 120 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 97 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PBF, 49 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 N1009T · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.