Air Tractor AT-401 N4538K
10 July 1991 · Calexico, California, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 10 July 1991 at about 06:30 local time, a Air Tractor AT-401 registered N4538K, operated by Frontier AG Service, was involved in an accident near Calexico, California, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 06:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Calexico, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 32.6905, -115.5106
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-401
- Registration
- N4538K
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Frontier AG Service
- Operating rule
- Part 137: Agricultural
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial Application
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Night/Dark
- NTSB number
- LAX91LA302
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
THE ERECTION OF A CONSTRUCTION SIGN ON AN ACTIVE RUNWAY BY COUNTY WORKERS WITHOUT NOTIFYING THE AIRPORT OPERATORS, AND, THE INABILITY OF THE PILOT TO DETECT THE PRESENCE OF THE SIGN DURING THE DARK NIGHT TAKEOFF.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT DURING THE DAY ON JULY 9TH, WORKERS FROM THE IMPERIAL COUNTY IRRIGATION DISTRICT ERECTED A LARGE CAUTION SIGN ON THE DEPARTURE RUNWAY ABOUT ONE THIRD OF THE WAY FROM THE START. THAT NIGHT THE PILOT ARRIVED AT THE AIRPORT FOR HIS NIGHT SPRAY RUN AND HE WAS UNAWARE OF THE NEWLY PLACED SIGN. AFTER LOADING THE CHEMICALS TO BE SPRAYED ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT, THE PILOT TOOK OFF AND THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE SIGN WITH THE LEFT SPRAY BOOM. THE BOOM WAS TORN LOOSE FROM THE STRUCTURE, HOWEVER, DID NOT SEPARATE TOTALLY AND BEGAN TO FLAP IN THE AIRSTREAM AS CHEMICALS POURED FROM THE HOPPER. THE PILOT TURNED THE AIRCRAFT TO RETURN TO THE AIRSTRIP AS HE REACHED FOR THE EMERGENCY SHUTOFF VALVE TO STOP THE FLOW OF CHEMICALS. AS THE AIRCRAFT NEARED THE AIRSTRIP, IT COLLIDED WITH A STACK OF HAY BALES RECENTLY ERECTED NEAR THE RUNWAY.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Air Tractor AT-401 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Mar 1991 | Air Tractor AT-401 | Avon, Mississippi, United States | Longwood Flying Service, Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 16 Sep 1991 | Air Tractor AT-401 | Sumner, Mississippi, United States | Flautt Flying Sevice, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 26 Jul 1990 | Air Tractor AT-401 | San Joaquin, California, United States | Grouleff Aviation, Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 13 May 1992 | Air Tractor AT-401 | Taft, Texas, United States | Hunt, Jeffery D. | No injuries | - |
| 21 Jun 1990 | Air Tractor AT-401 | Jerome, Idaho, United States | William M. Walters | No injuries | - |
| 4 Aug 1990 | Air Tractor AT-401 | Tule Lake, California, United States | MacYs Flying Service Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Jul 1991 | Cessna C-172P | Hesperia, California, United States | South Bay Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 24 Jul 1991 | Cessna 172N | Napa, California, United States | Bridgeford Flying SVC. | No injuries | - |
| 24 Jul 1991 | Beechcraft 76 | Sacramento, California, United States | Altair Aviation Corp. | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jul 1991 | Ayres S2R | Visalia, California, United States | Gilbert Aviation Industries | Serious injuries | - |
| 1 Aug 1991 | Cessna 421C | Auburn, California, United States | Edward Mueller | No injuries | - |
| 2 Aug 1991 | Champion 7GCBC | Lake Elsinore, California, United States | Halbeisen, John F | Fatal | 2 |