- Date
- August 7, 2022, 08:49 local (14:49 UTC)
- Place
- Circle, MT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N36542Air Tractor AT-301
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Fuel related
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20220807007869A
- Case key
- 105693
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The loss of engine power due to carburetor ice. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to use carburetor heat.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, following an aerial application on field, he was returning to a private [air]strip, when the engine began to run rough and lost power at an altitude of about 100 ft above ground level. The pilot initiated a forced landing to a wheat field, however, the airplane impacted terrain about 75 ft short of the field, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot added that carburetor ice “was not even considered at the time of power loss” and that the conditions favorable to carburetor ice were not taken into account. Carburetor heat was not used. Weather conditions reported at the time of the accident were conducive for serious carburetor icing at cruise power.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N36542
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-301
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 301-0310
- Built
- 1980
- Airframe hours
- 10,421
- Engine
- P&W R1340 AN-1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Harris Spraying Inc
- Registered owner
- Harris Spraying Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 29, 2021 · 899 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
- 80
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 21, 2020
- Seat
- Center
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 8,101 total · 4,667 in this make and model · 8,101 as pilot in command · 47 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 3 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,400 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.16 inHg
- Observed at
- KGDV, 30 nm away
- METAR
- KGDV 071456Z AUTO 15003KT FEW010 OVC044 14/12 A3016 RMK AO2 SLP213 T01440122 51008 PWINO $
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 10, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.6 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.