- Date
- April 13, 1989, 13:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Pierce, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3159DAir Tractor AT-301
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 28, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890413007879A
- Case key
- 32421
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
Failure of the number five cylinder. Factors related to the accident were: the proximity of homes in the area, which precluded jettisoning of the chemical load, and high vegetation in the emergency landing area.
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 stated that while climbing after takeoff, the acft eng started to gradually lose power, then started missing. Subsequently, he made an emergency landing in some palmetto bushes, which damaged the acft's landing gear & wings. An exam of the eng revealed the #5 cylinder assembly was cracked, which resulted in the loss of power. The plt noted that there were homes in the area, which precluded him from jettisoning his load.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3159D
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-301
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 301-0471
- Airframe hours
- 4,232
- Engine
- P&W R-1340-53H1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- S.Eastern Aerial Crop Svc.
- Registered owner
- Southeastern Aircraft Sales
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 15, 1989 · 96 hours before
- Departed
- FPR · Fort Pierce, FL
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
- 57
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 25,000 total · 3,700 in this make and model · 26,300 as pilot in command · 162 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- VRB, 10 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 N3159D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.