Air Tractor AT-401 N4503U
14 May 1993 · Oconto, Nebraska, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 14 May 1993 at about 12:30 local time, a Air Tractor AT-401 registered N4503U, operated by Olson Air Service, Inc., was involved in an accident near Oconto, Nebraska, 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 12:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Oconto, Nebraska, United States
- Coordinates
- 41.1406, -99.7592
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-401
- Registration
- N4503U
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Olson Air Service, Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 137: Agricultural
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial Application
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Holdrege → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CHI93LA170
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
THE PILOT'S INABILITY TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE AFTER ENCOUNTERING A DOWNDRAFT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE PILOT WAS OVER FLYING A FIELD IN PREPARATION FOR A SPRAYING RUN WHEN A RAIN SHOWER OCCURRED. THE PILOT STATED A MICROBURST WAS ENCOUNTERED AND HE DUMPED THE CHEMICAL LOAD IN AN ATTEMPT TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED FROM AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET TO IMPACT WITH THE TERRAIN. A SURFACE WEATHER REPORT ISSUED 25 MINUTES AFTER THE ACCIDENT FROM THE BROKEN BOW AIRPORT, 19 MILES NORTH-NORTHEAST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, REPORTED VIRGA SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Air Tractor AT-401 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Apr 1993 | Air Tractor AT-401 | Fort Pierce, Florida, United States | Southeastern Aircraft | Minor injuries | - |
| 15 Jul 1993 | Air Tractor AT-401 | Dermott, Arkansas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 May 1992 | Air Tractor AT-401 | Taft, Texas, United States | Hunt, Jeffery D. | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jun 1994 | Air Tractor AT-401 | Walls, Mississippi, United States | Delta Dusters, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 16 Jun 1994 | Air Tractor AT-401 | Pioneer, Louisiana, United States | RYE, Steven D. | Minor injuries | - |
| 9 Aug 1992 | Air Tractor AT-401 | Parker, Arizona, United States | Morris, Gary & Connie | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Apr 1993 | Beechcraft C99 | Shelton, Nebraska, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 6 Apr 1993 | Piper PA-38-112 | Plattsmouth, Nebraska, United States | Offutt AFB Aero Club | Fatal | 1 |
| 16 Oct 1993 | Piper PA-32R-300 | Atkinson, Nebraska, United States | First Nat'l Bank of Valentine | Fatal | 5 |
| 2 Feb 1993 | Stinson 108-3 | Omaha, Nebraska, United States | Petterson, Charles A. | No injuries | - |
| 7 Feb 1993 | Piper PA-28R-200 | Lincoln, Nebraska, United States | Johnson, Rollie C. | No injuries | - |
| 13 Feb 1993 | Cessna 172 | Weeping Water, Nebraska, United States | Martin W. Rupp | No injuries | - |