Somerville, TN, USA
N31580
AIR TRACTOR INC AT-301
On May 11, 2022, about 1857 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-301 airplane, N31580, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Somerville, Tennessee. The pilot received minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight. On the day before the accident, the pilot purchased the airplane from an individual in Hawkinsville, Georgia. He then flew it from Hawkinsville-Pulaski County Airport (51A), Hawkinsville, Georgia to Dyersburg Regional Airport (DYR), Dyersburg, Tennessee. When he first performed an engine run-up at 51A, the left side of the engine “popped and backfired” during the magneto check. The seller and another individual cleaned the magnetos and replaced a couple of spark plugs. The pilot then performed another engine run-up, checked the magnetos several times and everything was “good.” While en route to DYR he landed three times. After each landing, the pilot shut down the airplane, fueled-it, performed a preflight inspection, and an engine run-up prior with no anomalies, prior to departing. The next day at DYR, he flew a couple loads of water close to the airport and everything was running well. He then departed DYR and landed at Fayette County Airport (FYE), Somerville, Tennessee. He subsequently performed another preflight inspection and departed FYE to spray some fields. He was flying small loads of 100 to 150 gallons of liquid, to calibrate and adjust the spray tips. On the fourth load, his legs started to get warm, and he observed a flame on the left side of the engine. The pilot then reduced power and fully extended the wing flaps. He took a quick look around and did not see a good place to land. He then saw truck tracks on what might have been a turnrow (a headland used for turning farm implements around during field operations) and flew toward it. He made one circle to try and slow the airplane, then entered a right slip towards the area he wanted to land on. Prior to touchdown he leveled the wings but touched down on the main landing gear “kind of fast” and was trying to bleed some speed off before he let the tailwheel down. Suddenly, the airplane’s main landing gear hit a rough patch and the airplane nosed over. The pilot egressed from a broken window on the cockpit door. Examination of the wreckage by the NTSB revealed that the airplane had incurred substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, rudder, and wings. The fire which precipitated the emergency landing initiated just aft of the engine, forward of the dish pan assembly, in the forward, lower left portion of the cowling, near one of the segments of the ring type exhaust manifold. Further examination of this area revealed the presence of an exhaust leak, areas of exhaust impingement, and thermal damage. The wreckage was retained for further examination.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
Aviation Accidents App
In-Depth Access to Aviation Accident Reports
