Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Private Airstrip Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Natchez, Louisiana 71457
Sunday, August 24, 2014 17:30 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On August 24, 2014, about 1730 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-401, N91968, was destroyed by a post-impact ground fire after a forced landing due to a loss of engine power near Natchez, Louisiana. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by Red River Dusting Inc. under the provisions of the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 as an aerial application flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was filed. The airplane was departing from a private grass airstrip near Natchez, Louisiana, at 1730 on a local flight.
The pilot reported that during climbout about 75 above the runway, he heard a loud "pop" and the engine started to lose power. He dumped the 250 gallons of chemical that weighed about 2,000 pounds. The airplane continued to lose altitude. He executed a forced landing to a cotton field, and during the landing roll, the airplane hit a ditch which spun the airplane around. A post impact engine fire ensued and the airplane was consumed by fire.
The pilot reported that the No. 2 cylinder "swallowed the exhaust valve" and broke the top of the jug. An examination of the engine revealed that the No. 2 cylinder exhaust rocker boss was cracked. The 600-horsepower radial engine had a total of 11,534 hours of operation. The time since the last inspection was 229 hours, and the time since the last overhaul was 1,314 hours.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/24/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1730 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Natchez |
| Event State | LOUISIANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 71457 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 303624N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0925706W |
| Event Location Airport | Private Airstrip |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | RRDI |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 120 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2235 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 350 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | IER |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 121 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 5 |
| 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) | 34 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 22 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 60 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| 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 | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA-ASW-ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 22 2014 8:36AM |
| User who most recently changed record | silj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N91968 |
| NTSB Number | CEN14LA450 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 137: Agricultural |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | AIR TRACTOR INC |
| Aircraft Model | AT-401 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 401-0942 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 7860 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 1 |
| 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 | May 9 2014 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 7846 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | RED RIVER DUSTING INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 301 WALLENBURG LN |
| Aircraft Owner City | NATCHITOCHES |
| Aircraft Owner State | LA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 714573680 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | RED RIVER DUSTING INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 301 WALLENBURG LN |
| Operator City | NATCHITOCHES |
| Operator State | LA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 714573680 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | RRDI |
| Departure City | Natchez |
| Departure State | LA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1730 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | RRDI |
| Destination City | Natchez |
| Destination State | LA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 22 2014 9:47AM |
| User who most recently changed record | silj |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 36 |
| Runway Length | 3000 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |