- Date
- August 20, 1993, 10:45 local (15:45 UTC)
- Place
- Rome, MS
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3655GAir Tractor AT-301
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930820029869A
- Case key
- 37386
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 an undetermined reason. A factor related to the accident was: failure of the pilot to use all available runway for 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 began the aerial application flight by starting his takeoff from midfield, rather than using all of the runway. Moments after lift-off, the engine lost power. The pilot immediately jettisoned his load and made a forced landing straight ahead to a rice paddy. However, the main gear and right wing tip collided with a dirt bank/levy, and the airplane was damaged. No abnormality of the engine was found, and fuel was present in the carburetor bowl.
Factual narrative
On August 20, 1993, at about 1045 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-301, N3655G, registered to Jeff Jones, leased to Adams Flying Service, operating as a 14 CFR Part 137 aerial application flight crashed after sustaining a total loss of engine power at lift off. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The pilot departed from a private airstrip about 1 minute before the accident.
The pilot stated in an interview with the NTSB investigator-in-charge that he departed to the north at midfield with about 5/10 of a mile of runway remaining. Upon reaching VLOF airspeed, the airplane became airborne and experienced a total loss of engine power. He immediately jettisoned his load and made a forced landing straight ahead to a rice paddy. The main gear and right wing tip collided with a dirt bank/levy. The airplane spun to the right 180 degrees and came to a complete stop upright. Examination of the airplane by an FAA Aviation Safety Inspector revealed the engine was free to turn with no abnormalities observed. Fuel was present in the carburetor bowl.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3655G
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-301
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 292
- Engine
- P&W R-1340, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Adams Flying Service
- Registered owner
- Jones, Jeff
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 17, 1992
- Departed
- NONE
- Destination
- NONE
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
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 15,000 total · 400 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GWO, 37 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 N3655G · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.