Air Tractor AT-301 N8511S

Summary

On 25 August 1983 at about 15:00 local time, a Air Tractor AT-301 registered N8511S, operated by Martin L. Hallman, was involved in an accident near Redwood, Mississippi, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

25 August 1983 at 15:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Redwood, Mississippi, United States

Coordinates

32.5006, -90.7896

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-301

Registration

N8511S

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Martin L. Hallman

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Redwood → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL83FKQ03

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE ACFT MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A SOYBEAN FIELD AFTER SEVERE VIBRATION DEVELOPED DURING A SPRAYING OPERATION. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE POWERPLANT AND FLT CONTROLS WERE FUNCTIONING NORMALLY AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. AN ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE COUNTERWEIGHT BEARING SHAFT (P/N 63546) BROKE ALLOWING THE PROPELLER BLADE TO GO TO HIGHER PITCH WHILE THE OTHER BLADE REMAINED AT CRUISE PITCH SETTING. EXAMINATION OF BOTH PROPELLER BLADE COUNTERWEIGHTS REVEALED THAT THE INTERNAL PARTS HAD MINIMUM AMOUNT OF LUBRICATION. THE SHAFT THAT BROKE WAS ALSO RUSTY AND THE INNER BEARING RACE WAS BROKEN WITH 5 BALL BEARING MISSING. THERE WERE OTHER MAINTENANCE DICREPANCIES ON THIS SHAFT ASSEMBLY. THE TOTAL TIME OF THIS HAMILTON STANDARD 12D40 PROPELLER IS UNKNOWN. THE TIME SINCE THE ACFT WAS INSPECTED IS 194 HOURS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.