- Date
- June 15, 1983, 12:15 local (19:15 UTC)
- Place
- Yuma, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4337SAir Tractor AT 301
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830615025919A
- Case key
- 23752
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 reported that he landed on a farm road to inspect the alternator & associated wiring before starting aerial application. Following the inspection, during which nothing was found wrong, he commenced taking off. As the acft was accelerating for takeoff, a soft area was encountered which significantly increased the ground roll. Moments after becoming airborne, the left wing tip & spray boom impacted a citrus tree. Subsequently, the plt lost control & the acft stalled & impacted the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4337S
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT 301
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 301-0083
- Airframe hours
- 3,570
- Engine
- P&W R-1340 AN-1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Valley Sprayer & Duster Serv.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 21, 1983 · 73 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
- 24
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 2,000 total · 1,200 in this make and model · 1,800 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 100 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.