Air Tractor AT-401 N73135
15 March 1991 · Avon, Mississippi, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 15 March 1991 at about 21:00 local time, a Air Tractor AT-401 registered N73135, operated by Longwood Flying Service, Inc., was involved in an accident near Avon, Mississippi, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 21:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Avon, Mississippi, United States
- Coordinates
- 33.2294, -91.0405
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-401
- Registration
- N73135
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Longwood Flying Service, Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 137: Agricultural
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial Application
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- MIA91LA101
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS DURING A TURN WHILE ON AN AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS FAILURE OF THE LEFT MAGNETO DUE TO FAILURE OF A PHENOLIC GEAR WHICH DRIVES THE ROTATING MAGNET.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
DURING A TURN FOR A SPRAY PASS, THE PLT STATED THAT THE ENG QUIT. HE THEN OPENED THE CHEMICAL DUMP VALVE & LANDED THE ACFT PERPENDICULAR TO PLOWED ROWS IN A FIELD. THE ACFT THEN NOSED OVER AFTER TOUCHDOWN & THE PLT WHO WAS UNCONSCIOUS, WAS CUT FREE FROM HIS SEATBELT & SHOULDER HARNESS. EXAM OF THE ACFT AT THE ACCIDENT SITE REVEALED THAT THE MAGNETO SWITCH WAS POSITIONED TO 'BOTH.' THE ACFT WAS RECOVERED & THE ENG WAS STARTED & OPERATED NORMALLY WITH THE MAGNETO SWITCH POSITIONED TO THE BOTH POSITION HOWEVER WHEN THE MAGNETO SWITCH WAS POSITIONED TO THE LT POSITION, THE ENG QUIT. THE LT MAGNETO WAS REMOVED FOR DISASSEMBLY. EXAM OF THE LT MAGNETO REVEALED THAT A PHENOLIC GEAR WHICH DRIVES THE ROTATING MAGNET WAS DAMAGED WHICH PREVENTED THE MAGNETO FROM PRODUCING SPARK. NO DETERMINATION COULD BE MADE AS TO THE REASON FOR THE LOSS OF ENG POWER.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Air Tractor AT-401 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Sep 1991 | Air Tractor AT-401 | Sumner, Mississippi, United States | Flautt Flying Sevice, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 10 Jul 1991 | Air Tractor AT-401 | Calexico, California, United States | Frontier AG Service | Minor injuries | - |
| 26 Jul 1990 | Air Tractor AT-401 | San Joaquin, California, United States | Grouleff Aviation, Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 13 May 1992 | Air Tractor AT-401 | Taft, Texas, United States | Hunt, Jeffery D. | No injuries | - |
| 21 Jun 1990 | Air Tractor AT-401 | Jerome, Idaho, United States | William M. Walters | No injuries | - |
| 4 Aug 1990 | Air Tractor AT-401 | Tule Lake, California, United States | MacYs Flying Service Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Mar 1991 | Cessna 150G | Greenwood, Mississippi, United States | Ealy, Richard H | Minor injuries | - |
| 13 Mar 1991 | Cessna 182Q | Hattiesburg, Mississippi, United States | J.o.p., Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 24 Mar 1991 | Glassair SH-2TD | Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, United States | Herron, King D | Minor injuries | - |
| 12 May 1991 | Cessna 152 | Yazoo City, Mississippi, United States | Central Flying Service, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 13 May 1991 | Air Tractor AT-301 | Tutwiler, Mississippi, United States | Flying Y Aero, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 14 Jun 1991 | Air Tractor 301 | Greenville, Mississippi, United States | Clark, DON | No injuries | - |