Air Tractor AT-301 N8886S

Summary

On 13 October 2004 at about 21:50 local time, a Air Tractor AT-301 registered N8886S was involved in an accident near Coahoma, Texas, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 October 2004 at 21:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Coahoma, Texas, United States

Coordinates

32.3072, -101.3428

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-301

Registration

N8886S

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Big Spring → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DFW05CA003

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While spraying cotton for boll weevil eradication, the airplane developed a vibration. Thinking that the spray pump was about to sling a blade, the 3,600-hour commercial pilot elected to make a precautionary landing on a gravel road. After touch down the pilot was unable to maintain directional control and departed the right side of the road. The right wheel then contacted a dirt embankment and the airplane turned sharply to the right, resulting in the collapse of the left main landing gear. The airplane came to rest, upright, in a ditch. The winds were reported from 140 degrees at 6 knots.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.