N4427S – Air Tractor At-301 – 2008-03-26 NTSB Accident Report

On March 26, 2008, a Air Tractor At-301 (N4427S) was involved in an incident near Plains, KS. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: A loss of engine power as a result of a blocked carburetor. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.

The commercial pilot was repositioning a single-engine agricultural airplane to a private grass strip when the engine lost power while on final approach. The pilot was unable to maintain his altitude so he made a forced landing to the only suitable field available. However, during the roll out he applied the brakes to avoid colliding with a large sprinkler apparatus and flipped over. As a result the vertical stabilizer and the rudder were substantially damage. Further examination of the radial engine by the operator revealed that the flexible intake hose had come loose and was ingested into the carburetor blocking the throat of the carburetor.

This incident is documented in NTSB report DFW08CA086. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N4427S.