Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Vero Beach, Florida 32961
Thursday, September 21, 1995 8:00 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT STATED THAT, WHILE DUSTING WITH SULFUR, AN EXPLOSION OCCURRED THAT BLEW THE LID OFF OF THE HOPPER, FOLLOWED BY AN IN-FLIGHT FIRE. WHILE MANEUVERING FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES, CAME TO REST INVERTED, AND A POSTCRASH FIRE ENSUED. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE RECORDS REVEALED NO ENTRY THAT AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE 48-34-02, REQUIRING 5 FIRE PREVENTION MEASURES (LOCATION OF ENGINE EXHAUST, BONDING OF FUSELAGE, AGITATOR BEARING DESIGN/MAINTENANCE, HOPPER GATE CONSTRUCTION/MATERIAL, AND FIRE RESISTANT LOWER FUSELAGE), HAD BEEN COMPLIED WITH.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
FAILURE OF COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL TO COMPLY WITH A REQUIRED AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE, RESULTING IN AN IN-FLIGHT FIRE AND EMERGENCY LANDING. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR THE FORCED LANDING.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/21/1995 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 800 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | VERO BEACH |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 32961 |
| Event Date Year | 1995 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 750 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 80 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | VRB |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 25 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 2 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 23 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 330 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1180 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 21 1995 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 835 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 7 2000 4:36PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7304C |
| NTSB Number | MIA95LA227 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 137: Agricultural |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | In-flight |
| Aircraft Explosion | In-flight |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | AIR TRACTOR |
| Aircraft Model | AT-301A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | AT-301A |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 301-0597 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 5000 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 1 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 6 1995 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 3176 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | INDIAN RIVER FLYING SERVICE |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1890 98 AVENUE |
| Aircraft Owner City | VERO BEACH |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 32966 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | INDIAN RVER FLYING SERVICE INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | P.O. BOX 772 |
| Operator City | VERO BEACH |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 32961 |
| Operator Code | 5015 |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Agriculture |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Unknown |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Unknown |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Unknown |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Aerial Application |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | X52 |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 815 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |