Air Tractor AT-301 N3163T

Summary

On 23 August 2007 at about 12:15 local time, a Air Tractor AT-301 registered N3163T, operated by William Brinkley, was involved in an accident near Vandemere, North Carolina, 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.

Date

23 August 2007 at 12:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Vandemere, North Carolina, United States

Coordinates

35.1911, -76.6639

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-301

Registration

N3163T

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

William Brinkley

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fort Barnwell → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC07LA203

Nobody was injured.

The loss of engine power due to the failure of the supercharger bearings.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While conducting aerial agricultural spraying, the airplane was in a turn when the pilot heard a loud squeal, the engine lost power, and the pilot prepared for a forced landing to a cornfield. During the landing, the airplane nosed-over and sustained substantial damage to the wings. Examination of the radial engine revealed the supercharger bearings failed and were ingested into the engine case. The exact cause of the supercharger failure could not be determined. The engine had accumulated 765 hours since major overhaul as of its most recent annual inspection, about 5 months prior to the accident. The recommended time to overhaul for the engine was 1,200 hours.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.