Air Tractor AT-301 N2353W

Summary

On 12 August 2004 at about 15:00 local time, a Air Tractor AT-301 registered N2353W was involved in an accident near Cambridge, Kansas, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 August 2004 at 15:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Cambridge, Kansas, United States

Coordinates

37.3167, -96.8833

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-301

Registration

N2353W

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cambridge → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI04CA224

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot not jettisoning his chemical load during initial climb with the reported loss of airplane performance. Factors were the reported loss of aircraft performance and the tree.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The aerial application airplane sustained substantial damage on impact with a tree and terrain during initial climb. The pilot's accident report stated, "When I first powered up the engine, I thought it seemed a bit rough running, but soon it straightened up. I looked down, at the manifold pressure to see if the blower was producing, and it was at 36 inches, which was normal for this aircraft. At this point, I concluded that the engine was okay and seemed to be producing adequate power. The takeoff roll was as I had expected, with rotation and liftoff at about the point it should have been. Then, the AT 301 seemed to settle back to the runway, with the tail wheel hitting first, which put the main gear back on the runway. With this bounce the AT 301 went back into the air, and I thought I was going to carry the load on out. There was no time left at this point to shut down, and I thought it was going to fly. Just after crossing the end of the runway, the plane lost altitude with the left wing catching a tree, which tore off the left aileron and immediately put me on the ground, hitting with the left wing and engine first." An on-scene examination of the wreckage revealed no pre-impact anomalies. The pilot's safety recommendation stated, "If I had an engine analyzer which could have told of a cylinder that was not up to standard - there would not have been any take off attempted. From now on any ag aircraft I fly I will have my left hand resting on the dump on take off."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.