- Date
- March 15, 1991, 15:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Avon, MS
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N73135Air Tractor AT-401
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910315006629A
- Case key
- 32834
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
Loss of engine power for undetermined reasons during a turn while on an aerial application flight. Contributing to the accident was failure of the left magneto due to failure of a phenolic gear which drives the rotating magnet.
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
During a turn for a spray pass, the plt stated that the eng quit. He then opened the chemical dump valve & landed the acft perpendicular to plowed rows in a field. The acft then nosed over after touchdown & the plt who was unconscious, was cut free from his seatbelt & shoulder harness. Exam of the acft at the accident site revealed that the magneto switch was positioned to 'both.' The acft was recovered & the eng was started & operated normally with the magneto switch positioned to the both position however when the magneto switch was positioned to the lt position, the eng quit. The lt magneto was removed for disassembly. Exam of the lt magneto revealed that a phenolic gear which drives the rotating magnet was damaged which prevented the magneto from producing spark. No determination could be made as to the reason for the loss of eng power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N73135
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-401
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 401-0671
- Airframe hours
- 1,675
- Engine
- P&W R1340-AN1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Longwood Flying Service, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Longwood Flying Service, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 27, 1990 · 50 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
- 59
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 16,225 total · 670 in this make and model · 14,900 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 5 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Temperature
- 64 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.