- Date
- September 21, 1989, 18:58 local (Sep 22, 1989, 01:58 UTC)
- Place
- Blythe, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N3654NAir Tractor AT-301A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890921035969A
- Case key
- 26126
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 verify the fuel supply prior to takeoff.
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 of a spray plane experienced a loss of engine power during a spray run. The aircraft landed into a soft field and went over onto its back. The pilot thought the ground loader had refueled the aircraft between spray runs as was customary. The pilot did not visually verify the fuel load in the tanks and had relied on the fuel gauge which indicated a partial fuel load in one wing. There were no reported mechanical malfunctions or failure with the aircraft prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3654N
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-301A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 0289
- Airframe hours
- 5,246
- Engine
- P&W R-1340-AN1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Cyr Aviation
- Registered owner
- Jack Beadle
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 11, 1989 · 26 hours before
- Departed
- Blythe, CA
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
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 10,800 total · 5,000 in this make and model · 10,560 as pilot in command · 300 in the last 90 days · 160 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.