- Date
- July 21, 1991, 15:54 local (20:54 UTC)
- Place
- Taft, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4523LAir Tractor AT-402
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 9, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910721028679A
- Case key
- 23231
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's failure to maintain proper terrain clearance.
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
On the fourth aerial application pass the airplane passed under power lines and initiated a climb over a road embankment. The main landing gear struck the embankment and the airplane came to rest 296 feet from initial impact.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4523L
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-402
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 0757
- Engine
- P&W PT6A-27, 680 horsepower, turbo jet
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Hunts Dusting Service, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Hunts Dusting Service, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 18, 1991 · 20 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
- 38
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 7,861 total · 1,100 in this make and model · 6,427 as pilot in command · 350 in the last 90 days · 250 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 14 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 72 °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.
Other investigations on N4523L · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.