Air Tractor AT-301 N4326S

Summary

On 1 August 2022 at about 19:20 local time, a Air Tractor AT-301 registered N4326S, operated by Stardust Ag Aviation, was involved in an accident near Lamoni, Iowa, 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

1 August 2022 at 19:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Lamoni, Iowa, United States

Nearest airport

Lamoni Municipal Airport (LWD)

Coordinates

40.6237, -93.9381

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-301

Registration

N4326S

Category

Airplane

Year built

1974

Engines

1

Operator

Stardust Ag Aviation

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lamoni → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN22LA354

Nobody was injured.

A loss of airplane performance for reasons that could not be determined.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that the accident flight was the sixth or seventh aerial application flight that he performed on the day of the accident. He stated that the run-up and takeoff for flight were normal. When he turned toward the intended field of application, he “noticed a lack of performance.” The pilot attempted to restore airplane performance without success. He dumped the load of aerial applicant, and airplane then impacted trees and terrain. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and postcrash fire. The pilot stated that at the time of the accident the engine instrument indications, which included engine power and propeller speed. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation, and the reason for the airplane’s reported lack of performance was not determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.