Air Tractor AT-401 N7316L
17 April 1993 · Fort Pierce, Florida, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 17 April 1993 at about 10:53 local time, a Air Tractor AT-401 registered N7316L, operated by Southeastern Aircraft, was involved in an accident near Fort Pierce, Florida, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 10:53
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Fort Pierce, Florida, United States
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-401
- Registration
- N7316L
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Southeastern Aircraft
- Operating rule
- Part 137: Agricultural
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial Application
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- MIA93LA104
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
FAILURE OF THE NO. 2 CYLINDER IN FATIGUE FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS, OVER UNSUITABLE TERRAIN. THE LACK OF SUITALE TERRAIN FOR THE FORCED LANDING WAS A FACTOR.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE AGRICULTURAL FLIGHT HAD DEPARTED THE AIRSTRIP AND WAS EN ROUTE TO SPRAY A FIELD WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH, SMOKE, AND LOSE POWER. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO THE AIRSTRIP BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT PRODUCE ADEQUATE POWER. HE INITIATED A FORCED LANDING TO A DRAINAGE DITCH. DURING THE LANDING THE AIRPLANE HIT A SPRINKLER SYSTEM AND BURST INTO FLAMES. THE NO. 2 CYLINDER WAS FOUND TO BE CRACKED ACROSS THE DOME FROM SPARKPLUG HOLE TO SPARKPLUG HOLE. NO RECORDS WERE FOUND TO DETERMINE THE SERVICE HISTORY OF THE CYLINDER.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Air Tractor AT-401 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 May 1993 | Air Tractor AT-401 | Oconto, Nebraska, United States | Olson Air Service, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 15 Jul 1993 | Air Tractor AT-401 | Dermott, Arkansas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 May 1992 | Air Tractor AT-401 | Taft, Texas, United States | Hunt, Jeffery D. | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jun 1994 | Air Tractor AT-401 | Walls, Mississippi, United States | Delta Dusters, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 16 Jun 1994 | Air Tractor AT-401 | Pioneer, Louisiana, United States | RYE, Steven D. | Minor injuries | - |
| 9 Aug 1992 | Air Tractor AT-401 | Parker, Arizona, United States | Morris, Gary & Connie | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Dec 1993 | Cessna 650 | Tampa, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 17 Dec 1993 | Grumman G-44A | Leesburg, Florida, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 31 Dec 1993 | Cessna 150F | Lantana, Florida, United States | Micro Aviation Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 3 Mar 1993 | Smith Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 600 | Panama City, Florida, United States | Cherokee Leasing, Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 18 Jan 1993 | Cessna 140 | Niceville, Florida, United States | RAY, Robert G. | Serious injuries | - |
| 7 Mar 1993 | Piper PA-28-140 | Kissimmee, Florida, United States | Joseph V. Fera | Serious injuries | - |