Air Tractor AT-401B N9186J
30 November 2001 · Las Vegas, Nevada, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 30 November 2001 at about 23:46 local time, a Air Tractor AT-401B registered N9186J was involved in an accident near Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 23:46
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
- Nearest airport
- McCarran International (LAS)
- Coordinates
- 36.0667, -115.1539
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-401B
- Registration
- N9186J
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Olney → Las Vegas
- Aircraft damage
- Not recorded
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX02LA034
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
the failure of the AT-401 pilot to maintain clearance with the AT-402 airplane during landing. Contributing factors were the unreliable communication radio in the AT-401, the AT-401 pilot's continued flight with known communication radio problems, and the glare of the sun.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
Three airplanes, an AT-401, an AT-402 and an AT-502 were making a cross-country formation flight. Originally, the AT-401 was the lead airplane, the AT-402 was in the number 2 position, and the AT-502 was the trailing airplane. The AT-401 experienced radio communication problems during the flight. When the AT-401 pilot was unable to establish radio communications with air traffic control at the destination airport, he turned the lead over to the AT-502. The AT-401 pilot thought he was to transition to the number 2 position with the AT-402 taking the trail position. The pilot of the AT-402 thought the AT-401 was to take the trail position after the AT-502 assumed the lead, and he was to remain the number 2 airplane in the formation/landing sequence. According to the AT-401 pilot, the transition from base leg to final approach brought his airplane through the glare of the setting sun, and he concentrated on maintaining his relative position to the lead airplane. He landed behind the AT-502 and taxied off the runway. The AT-402 pilot indicated he landed behind the AT-502, and during the roll out, felt his airplane shudder as the AT-401 impacted his vertical stabilizer/rudder, passed over his airplane and landed on the runway ahead of him.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Tractor AT-401B | N9186J | - | - |
| Air Tractor AT-402A | N139LA | - | Substantial |
Other Air Tractor AT-401B accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jun 2000 | Air Tractor AT-401B | Thibodaux, Louisiana, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 22 Jul 2002 | Air Tractor AT-401B | Pratt, Kansas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 31 Jul 1999 | Air Tractor AT-401B | Edelstein, Illinois, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 4 Sep 2004 | Air Tractor AT-401B | Bainbridge, Georgia, United States | East River Flying Service LLC | Fatal | 1 |
| 13 Aug 2014 | Air Tractor AT 401B | Cimarron, Kansas, United States | Erhart Aerial Spraying | Serious injuries | - |
| 18 Jul 2014 | Air Tractor AT 401B | Ellis, Kansas, United States | Frontier Agricultural Service Inc | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Nov 2001 | Cessna 210K | North Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Aug 2001 | Champion 7FC | Reno, Nevada, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 26 Jul 2001 | Cessna TU-206F | Minden, Nevada, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 May 2001 | Aviat A-1B | Apex, Nevada, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 2 Sep 2001 | Sparke AIR COMMAND 582 DUAL | Gerlach, Nevada, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Mar 2001 | Cessna 182E | Boulder City, Nevada, United States | Skydive Las Vegas | Minor injuries | - |