Air Tractor AT-401B N3047A

Summary

On 4 September 2004 at about 00:05 local time, a Air Tractor AT-401B registered N3047A, operated by East River Flying Service LLC, was involved in an accident near Bainbridge, Georgia, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 September 2004 at 00:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Bainbridge, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Private airpstrip

Coordinates

30.9714, -84.6372

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-401B

Registration

N3047A

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

East River Flying Service LLC

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bainbridge → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL04LA173

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during an abrupt maneuver which resulted in a stall and collision with the ground.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was returning from his last aerial application for the day. A witness saw the airplane flying north around 800 feet. Witnesses then saw the airplane descend approximately to 500 feet. Witnesses state that the airplane pitched 45-degrees nose up and then began to roll to the left until the airplane was fully inverted. From the inverted attitude, the nose of the airplane went down into a 90-degree angle, and collided with the ground. Examination of the accident site revealed the airplane and all of its components together in the middle of a cotton field. The airplane's propeller and engine were buried into the ground in a 75-degree angle. The fuselage was crushed inward. The tail was separated from the empennage. The right horizontal stabilizer and vertical stabilizers were still attached to the tail. The left stabilizer was detached from the tail. The flaps were found in the "up" position. There were no fractured bolts found. There was flight control continuity throughout the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.