Air Tractor AT-301 N4424S

Summary

On 18 May 1996 at about 21:45 local time, a Air Tractor AT-301 registered N4424S was involved in an accident near Griffithville, Arkansas, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 May 1996 at 21:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Griffithville, Arkansas, United States

Coordinates

35.1198, -91.6409

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-301

Registration

N4424S

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Jasmine → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW96LA219

Nobody was injured.

loss of engine oil (leak) for an undetermined reason, which resulted in oil starvation and a loss of engine power; and failure of the pilot to maintain airspeed during the emergency descent/landing phase, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent collision with the terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

During a personal interview, conducted by an FAA inspector, the pilot reported that the engine oil pressure began to fluctuate. Subsequently, 'oil pressure was lost' and the engine lost power. The pilot added that during a descending left turn towards an open field, 'the airspeed slowed.' An uncontrolled descent ensued, and the airplane rolled to the left, then to the right, prior to ground impact. Physical evidence at the accident site confirmed that the airplane impacted the ground nose low in a right bank. Oil was found along the lower wing surfaces, and covering the underside of the airframe towards the empennage and tail. The source of the oil leak could not be determined during the post-accident examination of the engine.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.