- Date
- November 7, 1989, 08:45 local (14:45 UTC)
- Place
- Ellinwood, KS
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3158ZAir Tractor AT301
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891107045779A
- Case key
- 34912
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 partial failure of the engine for undetermined reasons which resulted in a forced landing. A factor related to the accident was the soft dirt.
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 reported that during climbout he believed the aircraft sustained a partial loss of eng pwr. He dumped his chemical load as the acft descended. He maneuvered the acft to avoid several obstacles, but the left gear eventually separated after the acft landed in soft dirt. A post accident examination of the aircraft and the engine failed to account for the reported partial loss of engine pwr; the disassembly of the eng did not reveal any pre-impact malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3158Z
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT301
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 301-0457
- Airframe hours
- 2,365
- Engine
- P&W R1340-AN1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Ellinwood Flying Service, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 17, 1989 · 207 hours before
- Airport
- 1K6 · Ellinwood
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
- 43
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 7,500 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 7,470 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Temperature
- 39 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.