Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Caledonia, Mississippi 39740
Monday, September 13, 1999 8:15 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot was spraying chemicals on a cotton field at an altitude of 300 ft. An hour and a half into the flight, he entered a right turn and the engine lost power. During the initiated forced landing, the right wing collided with a tree. The airplane spun to the right, colliding with the ground nose first, bounced several times, then came to rest. Post-examination of the engine revealed that there was an interruption of the direct drive fuel control (DDFC) gear-train due to a loss of mechanical contact between the teeth of the second and third DDFC gears. The cause for the interference was believed to have been due to excessive loading of the forward gear teeth of the third DDFC gear resulting in loss of material from the third DDFC gear. No assembly, dimensional or material defects were identified which would contribute to excessive loading or interference between the second and third DDFC gears.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The failure of the fuel control gear train due to oil contamination. A factor was Inadequate maintenance.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/13/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 815 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | CALEDONIA |
| Event State | MISSISSIPPI |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 39740 |
| Event Date Year | 1999 |
| 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 | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 955 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 210 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CBM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 219 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 13 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 14000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 6500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 6 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 130 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1190 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1133 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 13 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1732 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 10 2001 9:45AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N45205 |
| NTSB Number | ATL99LA129 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 137: Agricultural |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Air Tractor |
| Aircraft Model | AT-401 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | AT-401 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 401-0756 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1500 |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 19 1999 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 193 |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | LOWRY INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2265 ARTESIA RD, RT 1, BOX 269 |
| Aircraft Owner City | COLUMBUS |
| Aircraft Owner State | MS |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 39701 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | FLOYD C. LOWRY |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 2265 ARTESIA RD, RT 1, BOX 269 |
| Operator City | COLUMBUS |
| Operator State | MS |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 39701 |
| Operator Code | ZPWG |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | GTR |
| Departure City | COLUMBUS |
| Departure State | MS |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 645 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| 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 10 2001 12:27PM |
| 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 | -- |