- Date
- September 5, 1996, 17:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- St Clair, AL
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8563SAir Tractor 301
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 30, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960905026189A
- Case key
- 38084
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 pilot to maintain adequate airspeed, while maneuvering, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and uncontrolled descent to ground.
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
Witnesses observed the aircraft maneuvering and heard an engine power reduction. The aircraft then descended in a nose down attitude and crashed. There was evidence that the aircraft impacted in a relatively slow speed, but with power being provided to the propeller. Postcrash examination of the aircraft structure, flight controls, engine, and propeller did not reveal any pre-crash failure or malfunction.
Factual narrative
On September 5, 1996, about 1700 central daylight time, a Air Tractor AT-310, N8563S, registered to Davco Aviation, Inc., crashed near St. Clair, Alabama, while on a Title 14 CFR Part 137 aerial application flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft was destroyed and the commercial-rated pilot received serious injuries. The flight originated from St. Clair, the same day, about 1610.
Witnesses report to Lowndes County Sheriff Department officers that they observed the aircraft flying and the engine suddenly cut off. The aircraft crashed and about 15 seconds later they heard an explosion.
Examination of the crash site by FAA inspectors showed the aircraft crashed in a nose-down attitude while at a slow speed. The leading edge of each wing was crushed aft. The propeller had damage consistent with a propeller being turned by engine power at the time of ground impact. A postcrash fire erupted in the nose and center wing areas. Examination of the engine by FAA inspectors showed no evidence of precrash mechanical failure or malfunction of the engine.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8563S
- Reported as
- Air Tractor 301
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 301-0146
- Airframe hours
- 6,301
- Engine
- P&W R-1340-AN1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Farm Air, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Davco Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 2, 1996 · 154 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
- 44
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 5,211 total · 4,391 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MGM, 25 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 N8563S · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.