Air Tractor AT-301 N3656C
18 February 1998 · Wasco, California, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 18 February 1998 at about 01:34 local time, a Air Tractor AT-301 registered N3656C was involved in an accident near Wasco, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was 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 01:34
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Wasco, California, United States
- Nearest airport
- Wasco (L19)
- Coordinates
- 35.6401, -119.4391
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-301
- Registration
- N3656C
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 137: Agricultural
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial Application
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX98LA090
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot overboosting the engine on takeoff which resulted in a cracked cylinder and subsequent loss of engine power.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot heard a loud bang and felt a strong engine vibration after takeoff and crashed during the attempt to return to the runway. The number two cylinder was found cracked between the two spark plug portholes. The owner/operator reported that cracked cylinders are typical on these engines, usually due to the pilot overboosting the engine on takeoff. He stated that the pilot had cracked a cylinder on the accident aircraft on five previous occasions, as well as on other aircraft. The owner further stated that he trains all his pilots in emergency procedures. The pilot of the aircraft did not respond to requests for the accident report and no longer works for the operator.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Air Tractor AT-301 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Jun 1998 | Air Tractor AT-301 | Risco, Missouri, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Jun 1998 | Air Tractor AT-301 | Ipswich, South Dakota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 31 Jul 1998 | Air Tractor AT-301 | Mentha, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 19 May 1998 | Air Tractor AT-301 | Idaho Falls, Idaho, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Aug 1998 | Air Tractor AT-301 | Edgeley, North Dakota, United States | TOM Kiefer | No injuries | - |
| 8 Jul 1998 | Air Tractor AT-301 | Plainview, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Oct 1998 | Cessna 152 | Avalon, California, United States | Orange County Flight Center | Fatal | 1 |
| 5 Oct 1998 | Grumman TS-2A | Banning, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 15 Aug 1998 | North American NAVION | Salinas, California, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 21 Aug 1998 | Bell 206B | Salinas, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Aug 1998 | Robinson R22B | Ramona, California, United States | Civic Helicopters | No injuries | - |
| 27 Aug 1998 | Aerospatiale SA316B | Porterville, California, United States | U.s. Dept. of the Interior | No injuries | - |