Air Tractor AT-301 N4329S

Summary

On 14 May 1999 at about 17:09 local time, a Air Tractor AT-301 registered N4329S, operated by Flying V Air Service, Inc., was involved in an accident near Brownwood, Texas, 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.

Date

14 May 1999 at 17:09

Classification

Accident

Location

Brownwood, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Private Airstrip (NONE)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-301

Registration

N4329S

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Flying V Air Service, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW99LA140

1 person had minor injuries.

The failure of the pilot-in-command to use the manufacturer's published checklist and extend the flaps prior to takeoff. A factor was the pilot's fatigued physiological condition as a result of extended flight and ground duty hours.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that during the 3 weeks prior to the accident, he had averaged 15-hour work days. On the day of the accident, the pilot's first flight, which was a ferry flight to the airstrip, commenced at 0600. At 0722, he began the aerial application flights. At 1203, the airplane returned from the 20th application flight and was refueled. During the refueling, the pilot retracted the flaps to 'improve the footing' of the person who was fueling the left main fuel tank. The pilot stated that he did not extend the flaps prior to the 21st takeoff, and he did not use a checklist. The pilot stated that after takeoff the 'airplane wouldn't climb.' The airplane impacted trees during the initial climb after takeoff. The airplane flight manual requires that the flaps be extended 10 degrees prior to takeoff with a full hopper load or from a 'short' runway. The flap actuator jack screw and ball nut assembly were examined, and the ball nut was observed within 1/4 inch of the large gear-box ball bearing on the jack screw. This finding is consistent with the flaps being in the retracted position.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.