Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
N/A Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Clarksdale, Mississippi 38614
Tuesady, July 1, 2014 17:30 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On July 1, 2014, about 1730 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-602, N91331, operated by Shannon Agricultural Flying, Inc., was destroyed when it impacted a bean field in Clarksburg, Mississippi. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the airplane, which departed Shannon Field (02CD), Clarksdale, Mississippi, was not operating on a flight plan. The local aerial application flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137.
According to company personnel and GPS data, the airplane was applying fertilizer in both directions in an east-west race track pattern. After completing each leg, the airplane would make a 20- to 30-degree left turn, followed by a right turn to reverse course and fly the next track. The GPS data ended prior to the final turn.
A witness on his lawn mower noted the airplane when it flew over his property about 150 feet above the ground. He heard the airplane's engine running over the sound of the mower, and saw the airplane turn right, to the north, and the wings become vertical. The airplane then impacted the ground, and when it did, the witness saw smoke and fertilizer being ejected up into air. The witness then went to the wreckage and found the pilot unresponsive.
The initial impact occurred on flat terrain in the vicinity of 34 degrees north, 06.34 minutes north latitude, 090 degrees, 34.26 minutes west longitude, at an elevation of about 160 feet. The wreckage path, which began with green lens material, headed about 360 degrees magnetic. Approximately 75 feet beyond the initial impact point, there was a 3-foot-deep, 10-foot-long crater with the propeller hub and four of the five propeller blades partially embedded at its right edge. Beginning about 20 feet beyond the crater, was the fifth propeller blade and the rest of the airplane.
The airplane was fractured into multiple sections and pieces, with all flight control surfaces located at the scene. Flight control continuity was confirmed via the control cables from the cockpit to the rudder and elevator, and through push rod and bellcrank fractures to the ailerons.
After the airplane's removal to a storage facility, the engine was partially disassembled. Soil was found in the gas generator case and throughout the combustion section, the compressor turbine blade tips exhibited smearing and the turbine shroud exhibited corresponding circumferential rubbing, and the compressor disc outer rim and blade platforms exhibited circumferential rubbing with frictional heat discoloration and material in the vicinity of the 1st stage power turbine vane ring and baffle, all of which was consistent with the engine being under power at impact.
One of the five propeller blades exhibited torsional bending, and two blades remaining in the hub left witness marks consistent with propeller pitch being in "the normal operating range" and not feathered.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/1/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1730 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Clarksdale |
| Event State | MISSISSIPPI |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 38614 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 340621N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0903416W |
| Event Location Airport | N/A |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | -- |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1735 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 360 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CKM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 173 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 32 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 24 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 220 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.9 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA SROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 18 2014 12:49PM |
| User who most recently changed record | gots |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N91331 |
| NTSB Number | ERA14FA322 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 137: Agricultural |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | AIR TRACTOR INC |
| Aircraft Model | AT-602 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 602-0622 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | -- |
| Number of Engines | -- |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SHANNON AGRICULTURAL FLYING INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 8230 US HWY 49 |
| Aircraft Owner City | CLARKSDALE |
| Aircraft Owner State | MS |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 38614 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | SHANNON AGRICULTURAL FLYING INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 8230 US HWY 49 |
| Operator City | CLARKSDALE |
| Operator State | MS |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 38614 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Aerial Application |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 02CD |
| Departure City | Clarksdale |
| Departure State | MS |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | -- |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | 02CD |
| Destination City | Clarksdale |
| Destination State | MS |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 15 2014 7:09PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coxp |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |