Air Tractor AT-401 N10061

Summary

On 10 July 2004 at about 18:00 local time, a Air Tractor AT-401 registered N10061, operated by Charles Paris, was involved in an accident near Winnsboro, Louisiana, 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

10 July 2004 at 18:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Winnsboro, Louisiana, United States

Nearest airport

Winnsboro Municipal Airport (F89)

Coordinates

32.1528, -91.6983

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-401

Registration

N10061

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Charles Paris

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Winnsboro → Winnsboro

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW04LA179

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's mismanagement of fuel resulting in fuel starvation. A contributing factor was the ditch.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The 9,155-hour pilot stated that after he had finished an aerial application of insecticide in a field approximately 5 miles away from the airport, he pulled up and out and turned 180 degrees to the right to return to the airport. At an altitude of approximately 100 to 200 feet above the ground, the engine lost power. The pilot further stated that, due to the low altitude, he could not turn much in either direction. Subsequently, the pilot initiated a forced landing into a bean field, and struck a drainage canal. Examination of the fuel system revealed no fuel in the right wing tank. The pilot reported that he had been making all of his turns to the left, and that the fuel had transferred from the right fuel cell into the left fuel cell.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.