Incident Air Tractor AT-301 VH-NOW,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 219416
 
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Date:Saturday 7 January 1989
Time:10:30
Type:Silhouette image of generic AT3P model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Air Tractor AT-301
Owner/operator:
Registration: VH-NOW
MSN: 301-0557
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Location:6km W of Emerald, QLD -   Australia
Phase: Landing
Nature:Agricultural
Departure airport:5km W of Emerald, QLD
Destination airport:5km W of Emerald, QLD
Investigating agency: BASI
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The pilot was spraying a mature cotton crop adjacent to the company strip. After 20 minutes of flight, and shortly after commencing another spray run, the engine failed suddenly. The aircraft was manoeuvred towards an adjacent paddock with short soyabeans but it could not be aligned with the rows before landing. The wheels dug into the wet ground and the aircraft overturned. While skidding backwards the fibreglass back of the cockpit broke, allowing a large quantity of mud into the cockpit and making the pilot's exit difficult. He eventually used the fire extinguisher to smash a window to facilitate egress. Witnesses saw flame and black smoke emitting from the aircraft at the time of the engine failure. The aircraft operator found that the rear bearing of one magneto had become loose. This allowed the timing to advance and the engine backfired. An air inlet hose between the air filter and the carburettor was split and was sucked into the carburettor, thus stopping the engine. This occurrence was not the subject of an on-site investigation.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: BASI
Report number: 
Status: Investigation completed
Duration:
Download report: Final report

Sources:

https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/1989/aair/aair198903739/
https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/27736/aair198903739.pdf

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
13-Dec-2018 14:11 Pineapple Added

Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description

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