Pilot Debrief

Air Tractor AT-301A near Jasper, MN — 2008-08-25

Final reportCHI08CA266
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Date
2008-08-25
Location
Jasper, MN, USA
Aircraft
Air Tractor AT-301A
Registration
N3654T
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to assure the primer control was locked during the aircraft preflight. Factors associated with the accident were the low altitude at which the airplane was operating, the fence, the roadway, and the ditch.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported he was spraying a field at an altitude of 5 to 10 feet above the ground, when the engine ran rough, stopped, started, then stopped again. He reported he tried to land in an open pasture, but the airplane lost too much altitude while making a left turn. The pilot leveled the wings and the airplane contacted the terrain. The airplane traveled through a fence and a ditch prior to crossing a road and coming to rest in another ditch. Post accident inspection of the airplane revealed the fuel primer control knob was not locked and it had backed out.

NTSB coding

View NTSB final report

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