- Date
- June 27, 1989, 13:35 local (18:35 UTC)
- Place
- Rio Hondo, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N4448SAir Tractor AT-301
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 10, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890627028269A
- Case key
- 22744
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
Improper compensation for wind conditions by the pilot. Factors related to the accident were the adverse wind conditions.
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 plt rprtd that immediately after lift-off, there was a loss of lift that resulted in the left wing dipping & contacting the ground. Subsequently, the acft rolled & flipped over. The plt believed the acft had encountered windshear. He noted that a thunderstorm was building in the vicinity.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4448S
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-301
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 301-0078
- Airframe hours
- 4,746
- Engine
- P&W R-1340 AN-1, 550 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Farm Services, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 10, 1989 · 408 hours before
- Airport
- runway 18, 2,600 × 20 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
- 49
- 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
- 14,000 total · 6,000 in this make and model · 450 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 175° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 95 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N4448S · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.